Attacks in disputed areas underline importance of joint Iraqi-Peshmerga brigades: official
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - US Col. Todd Burroughs, Deputy Director of the US-led coalition’s Military Advisor Group North, emphasized on Thursday that the Islamic State (ISIS) attack on Pirde Wednesday night showed the importance of establishing joint Iraqi-Peshmerga brigades.
“Daesh (ISIS) attacks in the disputed areas continue to emphasize the importance of the joint force brigades,” Col. Burroughs tweeted. “Peshmerga and ISF (Iraqi Security Forces) are working diligently to form and train these brigades to defeat Daesh (ISIS).”
The Kurdistan Region Peshmerga forces repelled a late-night attack by ISIS militants on Wednesday in Iraq's disputed Kirkuk province along the road between the districts of Pirde (Altun Kupri) and Dibis.
At 10:45 pm, according to the source, ISIS fighters attempted to breach the front lines of the Kurdish forces but were ultimately unsuccessful.
Read More: Peshmerga fighters repel ISIS militants in late night skirmish outside disputed Kirkuk
Earlier, on Oct. 30, ISIS militants attacked Peshmerga forces in Pirde. During that attack, two Peshmerga fighters were killed.
Read More: Two Peshmerga fighters killed in ISIS attack in disputed Kirkuk province: CTD
“Peshmerga Forces stand strong on the front line against terrorism every day,” Col. Burroughs added in a tweet.
He said the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs and the ISF are taking measures to defeat ISIS and “secure safety for all.”
The Ministry of Peshmerga, the Iraqi Army, and the US-led coalition have discussed plans to form and deploy two joint Iraqi-Peshmerga brigades to secure the disputed territories between Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, where Islamic State (ISIS) remnants are operating from security gaps.
Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani also emphasized the importance of military cooperation between the Kurdish Peshmerga and the Iraqi Army after Saturday’s Pirde attack.
“This attack reaffirms the importance of continued coordination between the KRG [Kurdistan Regional Government] and the federal govt [government] with the support of the International Coalition in confronting ISIS threats, particularly to fill the security vacuum in the disputed territories,” the prime minister tweeted on Sunday.