PHOTOS: Peshmerga Ministry establishes first chemical defense division

The Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Ministry of Peshmerga established its first chemical defense division for the Kurdish forces.

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – The Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Ministry of Peshmerga established its first chemical defense division for the Kurdish forces.

Major Islam Chali, a Peshmerga officer, on Sunday told Kurdistan24 the Ministry of Peshmerga had created a department for chemical defense and would begin training in both Germany and the Kurdistan Region.

The German Defense Ministry in coordination with the KRG’s Peshmerga Ministry plans to train several Kurdish troops at the German military academy in Sonthofen, southern Germany.

Chali, who leads the newly established division, is now in a two-week training program in Germany with 14 other Peshmerga fighters.

“We receive extensive, practical, and theoretical training by the German advisers on a daily basis,” he revealed.

According to Chali, the chemical defense division includes six Peshmerga officers and 70 Peshmerga fighters.

The group will receive essential training on preventative measures from potential chemical attacks on Kurdish forces.

“Another group of Peshmerga fighters from the chemical defense division has been receiving training in the city of Sulaimani in the Kurdistan Region for a month now by Iraqi experts,” Chali told Kurdistan24 from Germany.

“The training will continue, and upon our return from Germany, our team will also join the group in Sulaimani,” Chali added.

In the past two years, Islamic State (IS) extremists had used chemical attacks against Peshmerga forces on multiple occasions in Kirkuk, Shingal, Makhmour and the Gwer front lines.

On March 16, 1988, the Iraqi Ba’ath regime targeted the Kurdish population in the city of Halabja in Kurdistan with a series of poison gas attacks.

Over 5,000 civilians were killed instantly, and between 7,000 and 10,000 were injured.

The survivors and bereaved continue to suffer from the consequences of the chemical attacks until this day.

 

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany

Peshmerga fighters from the chemical defense division recieve training in Germany.
Peshmerga fighters from the chemical defense division recieve training in Germany.
German advisers train a Peshmerga fighter from the chemical defense division.
German advisers train a Peshmerga fighter from the chemical defense division.
German advisers train a Peshmerga fighter from the chemical defense division.
German advisers train a Peshmerga fighter from the chemical defense division.
Peshmerga fighters from the chemical defense division recieve training in Germany.
Peshmerga fighters from the chemical defense division recieve training in Germany.