PM Barzani discussed security of Kurdistan, wider region with Commander of SOJTF-OIR

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), Masrour Barzani, emphasized the need for illegal armed groups to leave the Kurdistan Region in a meeting on Monday with the Commanding General of Special Operations Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (SOJTF-OIR), Brig. Gen. Guillaume Beaurper.

This was necessary, Barzani stressed, for the Region to be able to mobilize all of its abilities and resources for the common fight against terrorism.

The KRG’s Peshmerga forces have been a major partner of the US-led coalition in the campaign against ISIS, the terrorist group that emerged out of the Syrian civil war.

The meeting included the US Consul General in Erbil, Rob Waller, and the three officials discussed the latest developments in Iraq and the wider region, as well as the continuing value of coordination between the Peshmerga forces and the international coalition.

Barzani stressed the importance of the coalition’s ongoing support to the Peshmerga forces in order to face the threat from ISIS terrorists, according to a statement on the KRG website.

Barzani praised the support of the international coalition to the Kurdistan Region for its efforts in confronting terrorism, as he also emphasized "the need for illegal armed forces to leave the Kurdistan Region, so that the Region can focus all of its efforts and forces and do everything in its power to combat terrorism."

The KRG Prime Minister also stressed "the importance of implementing the Sinjar (Shingal) agreement and ousting armed militias from the region, in order to restore security and stability to the area and to provide an appropriate environment for the return of displaced persons to their homes."

For his part, the Commander of the SOJTF-OIR affirmed that the Kurdistan Region is a very important partner for the United States and the international coalition in their common fight against terrorism.

The US has supported the Peshmerga since 2014, when the war against ISIS began, and it continues to do so.

Editing by Laurie Mylroie