Kurdistan’s response to Abadi: Peshmerga will not withdraw from liberated areas

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) spokesperson stated on Wednesday that Peshmerga forces will not withdraw from the areas they liberated.

Safeen Dizaiyee responded to the Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’ who said that Peshmerga forces should remain in their current positions and do not advance further towards Mosul.

Abadi in a press conference on Tuesday said that there is an agreement that Peshmerga forces will remain in their positions without any further advancement even if they provide support to the security forces, stating that “only Iraqi forces will enter the Mosul city.”

The KRG spokesperson told Kurdistan24 that Peshmerga forces will not withdraw from the areas in their control because Peshmerga is the source of security and stability for people.

Dizaiyee stated that Peshmerga forces will make further advances towards the Islamic State (IS)-held areas surrounding Mosul that are considered outside of the Kurdistan Region administration.

“The areas were liberated by the blood of the Peshmerga forces. Peshmerga will not retreat,” he reaffirmed. 

“It was Peshmerga forces who defended these towns and villages that were abandoned by the Iraqi army and it was Peshmerga who filled the security gap and defended people even when that meant spilling their own blood,” Dizaiyee added.

Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani previously stated, “Peshmerga forces will participate but would not enter Mosul city; They would only provide backup.”

The Ministry of Peshmerga in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in a statement on July 23 said that Peshmerga forces would not retreat from areas they liberated in the past two years.

“Whenever we feel that the bravery and sacrifices made by the Peshmerga are mistreated, Peshmerga will suspend all kinds of coordination and joint works with the Iraqi forces,” the statement read.

Editing by Ava Homa