Peshmerga Ministry reunifies brigades after split during Kirkuk assault

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – The Ministry of Peshmerga on Wednesday moved to reunify and reorganize the Kurdish force’s first and second brigades after they were affected by the Oct. 16 attack and takeover of Kirkuk by Iraqi troops and Iranian-backed Shia Hashd al-Shaabi militias.

The Peshmerga Ministry held a meeting with senior Peshmerga officials, including Deputy Peshmerga Minister Sarbast Lazgin, Senior Peshmerga Commander Sheikh Jafar Mustafa, and the ministry’s own Secretary-General, Jabar Yawar, along with other commanders in Erbil.

The Kurdish officials discussed the means by which to reunify the brigades in Peshmerga Ministry which were affected during the violent takeover of the province of Kirkuk and other disputed territories by Iraqi forces and Iranian-backed Hashd al-Shaabi fighters in late 2017.

The assault on Kirkuk saw a number of Peshmerga units withdraw from the frontlines after receiving directives from a political party which had been given without the Ministry of Peshmerga’s approval, leading to the eventual fall of the province to Iraqi security forces. The blame was widely placed on some members of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan’s (PUK) leadership, which had been in charge of the province’s protection over the past few years.

“All necessary arrangements were made for the consolidation of the two brigades, emphasizing on the need for a united command under the Peshmerga Ministry,” a statement released by the Ministry read.

“It was also decided that all units on the front lines must only recognize military orders coming from the front line commander and the Ministry of Peshmerga. This will resolve issues that previously plagued some of the [Peshmerga] forces,” the statement continued.

Kurdish Peshmerga forces have been unified under the single command of the Ministry over the past few years. A number of brigades, however, remained loyal to political parties, mainly the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).

“The areas where the two brigades would operate were also determined in the meeting. A decision was issued to establish a high-level commission to review issues both brigades face as well as facilitate the unification process.”

The Ministry added that a consolidation period was set and the commanders of both the first and second brigades stressed their commitment and compliance to the Peshmerga Ministry’s command.

The Kurdistan Region has over 200,000 registered Peshmerga fighters. They have been labeled as one of the most effective ground troops in the fight against the Islamic State (IS). They were the first force to stop and push back the jihadist group in northern Iraq as the Iraqi army collapsed and failed to defend the area.

Over 1,800 Peshmerga have fallen over the past few years while fighting IS, and 12,000 more wounded, according to the Ministry of Peshmerga.

Editing by Nadia Riva