Kurdish fighters broke the ISIS siege on Mt. Sinjar, helping thousands of Yazidis flee to safety, Defense Department officials said Wednesday.

The Kurdish forces have been fighting the Islamic militants to free the trapped Yazidis. The U.S. government supplied them with arms and ammunition last week.

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The American troops also launched 19 airstrikes in four days. The Iraqi government assisted in the effort by providing ammunition supply.

About 5,000 Yazidis remain on the mountain but the airstrikes and the daily evacuations of Yazidis seemed to have eased the need for a rescue operation.

ISIS is an extremist Sunni Muslim targeting the Yazidis who belong to a pre-Islamic sect. They are a religious minority considered to be one of the oldest in the world.

The militants want the Yazidis to convert to Islam, reports said. They occupied much of the northern and western part of the country when Iraqi forces abandoned their position two months ago.

The Kurdish forces have been fighting in northern Iraq to push the ISIS back. However, the Iraqi government admits that their forces are not enough to overthrow the Islamic rebels.

Kurdish fighters are known for their bravery on the combat zone. They are the country’s best hope to drive the rebels away, the U.S. administration said.

Kurdish and Iraqi forces are involved in the U.S. government’s planned long-term strategy to fight rebels. They rely on their cooperation and capability to push back Islamic militants as Iraq forms a new government.

U.S. President Barack Obama said the new Iraqi government must accommodate all concerns of the different religious groups in the country. Once the new government is enacted, the U.S. will provide training to Kurdish and Iraqi soldiers.

Unfortunately, the formation of the new Iraqi government has not achieved a steady progress.

Meanwhile, Obama said the U.S. troops will continue to launch airstrikes in Iraq to protect their "people and facilities" in the country.

Tags Yazidis, Kurdish fighters, U.S. airstrikes, Mt. Sinjar siege, Islamic militants