Hashd al-Shaabi officials commend cooperation with Kurdistan’s Peshmerga

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – Hashd al-Shaabi officials on Thursday praised the "effective cooperation" between Kurdistan Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi security forces, denying the prediction of clashes between the two.

Top officials of Hashd al-Shaabi, also known as the Popular Mobilization Forces, reiterated the positive relations and coordinations between Peshmerga forces and Hashd al-Shaabi.

Ahmed Assadi, Hashd al-Shaabi spokesperson told Kurdistan24 on Wednesday that there is no fear of clashes between the Peshmerga forces and Hashd al-Shaabi, emphasizing their good relations with Peshmerga and the Kurdistan Region leadership.

“We have a 30-year history… we all abide by the law and the constitution and there will not be any clashes,” Assadi said, adding that all forces are united in the fight against the Islamic State (IS).

Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy chief of the Hashd al-Shaabi told Kurdistan24 various forces combating IS have put this fight as their priority and so avoid clashing with other groups.

“We have fought the former regime and IS together and together we will fight terror and keep the unity of Iraq,” Muhandis said.  

Qais al-Khazali the founder and leader of Asaib Ahl al-Haq, an Iranian-backed Shia militia in Iraq, known for his statements against Kurdistan Region and Peshmerga, said Peshmerga forces have been fighting IS alongside the Iraqi forces and there is no fear of any clashes between them.

Hashd al-Shaabi was shaped by the former Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki after a fatwa by Ali al-Sistani, an influential Iranian Shia cleric in Iraq.

The group was formed following the retreat of the Iraqi army in Mosul and most Sunni-populated areas in June 2014 when the Islamic State (IS) attacked.

Editing by Ava Homa