Peshmerga, Iraqi forces will launch Hawija operation soon: Abadi

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – The Prime Minister of Iraq Haider al-Abadi on Wednesday said Iraqi and Kurdish forces would launch the offensive to liberate Hawija from the Islamic State (IS) soon.

During a weekly press briefing in Baghdad, Abadi said Iraqi troops would fully cooperate with Kurdish Peshmerga forces to recapture the Hawija district, west of Kirkuk Province.

Following the Hawija offensive, Iraqi troops will look to liberate the western province of Anbar, the Iraqi Prime Minister added.

Hawija, located in oil-rich Kirkuk, is one of the militant group’s last remaining strongholds in Iraq after losing Mosul and Tal Afar.

Forces were deployed in Kirkuk over the weekend as preparations to liberate the city are underway, the Iraqi Defense Ministry said in an official statement.

According to Army First Lieutenant Fayeq Numan al-Salim, most of the forces who were involved in the Tal Afar operation will participate in the liberation of Hawija.

“Preparations for the campaign began several weeks ago, but they were stepped up following the recent recapture of Tal Afar,” Salim said, adding victory would be “speedy.”

Kurdish officials in Kirkuk have been calling on Baghdad to prioritize the liberation of Hawija, citing security threats to civilians in the rest of the province.

As Kurdistan’s independence referendum approaches, the people of Kirkuk will be anticipating their opportunity to decide whether they want to remain part of Iraq or join the Kurdistan Region.

Although Kurds make up a majority of the population, Kirkuk is a diverse area made up of different ethnic and religious groups including Turkmen, Arabs, and Christians.

The province is one of the disputed territories between the Federal Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

President of the Kurdistan Region Masoud Barzani has also called for continued cooperation between Baghdad and Erbil in the fight against IS.

Editing by Ava Homa