US satisfied with joint Iraqi-Peshmerga operations: Peshmerga Commander

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Peshmerga Major General Sirwan Barzani, Commander of Sector 6, welcomed a US military delegation near Makhmour on Wednesday.

“At Sector 6, we welcomed Col. Douglas, Security Corporation - Iraq US Army, and Col. Kim, Defence Attaché - US Marine Corps,” he tweeted. 

“We discussed the latest developments. They expressed their satisfaction for the latest joint operations by #Peshmerga and Iraqi Army against #ISIS.”

On Feb. 7, the Kurdistan Region’s Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi Army launched a joint operation in the Sargaran subdistrict of disputed Kirkuk province against ISIS militants.

Read More: Iraqi Army, Peshmerga launch joint operation in Sargaran subdistrict: Kurdish commander

It covered an area of nearly 300 square kilometers to “inspect and search for ISIS terrorists,” Barzani earlier told Kurdistan 24. 

On Dec. 6, a joint brigade of Iraqi and Kurdish Peshmerga entered Lheban village after the village and surrounding areas endured repeated ISIS attacks. 

Sargaran subdistrict is within the disputed territories claimed by Erbil and Baghdad. ISIS has carried out a campaign of hit-and-run attacks against security forces and civilians alike from these territories for years now. The terror group was announced territorially defeated in Iraq in December 2017. 

The Iraqi Army and Peshmerga increased cooperation against the group in November after it had launched a series of nighttime attacks that killed over 20 of the Kurdish forces and civilians. 

Read More: Iraq and Peshmerga forces to increase media coordination against ISIS

In recent months, Kurdish and Iraqi military authorities have held several meetings in both Erbil and Baghdad to discuss joint operations against the group.