Security

No other force shall be formed outside Peshmerga ministry: Official

He made the remarks during the Peshmerga cadets' graduation ceremony at the Iraqi 3rd Military College in Qalachwalan in northeast Sulaimani province.

Kurdistan 24 2022/05/22 12:15

Peshmerga cadets prepare for their graduation ceremony at the 3rd Military College of Qala Chwalan in Sulaimani, May 22, 2022. (Photo: Jamal Yad/Kurdistan 24)

Kurdistan Peshmerg Unification Coalition Shorish Ismael Qala Chwalan Academy Sulaimani Nechirvan Barzani

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – No other armed force in the Kurdistan Region shall be created outside the command and control of the Ministry of Peshmerga, said Minister of Peshmerga Shorish Ismael on Sunday.

"It shall never be allowed to form other Peshmerga forces outside the ministry," Ismael told the audience, adding that any new force shall be formed under a new mechanism and be fully integrated into the official security apparatus.

He made the remarks during the Peshmerga cadets' graduation ceremony at the Iraqi 3rd Military College in Qalachwalan in northeast Sulaimani province.

A number of top officials attended the ceremony, including Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, Peshmerga generals, and the co-chair of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).

The unification of the Peshmerga forces is high on the government's agenda and is supported and encouraged by the US-led coalition against ISIS.

This year, the 1st and 2nd Supporting Forces of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the PUK were brought under the ministry's command.

The unification process needs to be "fast-paced and with trust," President Barzani said during his speech, insisting that no political interference in the affairs of Peshmerga shall be allowed.