Security

Ministry of Peshmerga discusses coordination against ISIS with Iraqi Army

"Ministry of Peshmerga Chief of Staff Ozeir underlined the importance of the continued cooperation and security coordination between the Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi army."

Wladimir van Wilgenburg 2022/06/22 22:00

Lieutenant General Issa Ozeir, the Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Peshmerga, met with Iraqi Major General Abdullah Ramazan al-Juburi on Wednesday, June 22, 2022 (Photo: Ministry of Peshmerga).

Kurdistan Ministry of Peshmerga Iraqi Army Disputed Territories ISIS Issa Ozeir

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Lieutenant General Issa Ozeir, the Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Peshmerga, met with Major General Abdullah Ramazan al-Juburi of the Iraqi Army's 14th Division of Nineveh Operations Command to discuss coordination against ISIS in the disputed territories on Wednesday.

The Iraqi delegation congratulated Ozeir on his appointment as the new Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Peshmerga.

Ozeir underlined the importance of the continued cooperation and security coordination between the Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi Army, the Ministry of Peshmerga said in a statement.

He also stressed the importance of joint and comprehensive work to "establish peace and stability in the region."

The Ministry of Peshmerga underlined the importance of coordination in the disputed territories, where there has long been a significant security gap between the Peshmerga and the Iraqi Army that ISIS has exploited to threaten the region's security.

Today, sLt Gen Issa Ozer, @KRG_MOPE chief of staff, met major Gen Abdullah Ramazan al-Juburi, 14th Division of Nineweh Operations Command, commander, to discuss the coordination & relations between the @KRG_MOPE & the iraqi #MOD, especially in the areas with the security gap pic.twitter.com/XDwYiRg7gm
— Ministry of Peshmerga (@KRG_MOPE) June 22, 2022

After the Kurdistan Region's 2017 independence referendum, Iraqi forces and Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) pushed the Peshmerga from the disputed territories, and the security gap emerged between their positions.

However, cooperation between Iraqi and Kurdish security forces against ISIS in these territories increased noticeably last year following a series of deadly ISIS attacks that killed civilians and Peshmerga.

On Monday, Peshmerga Major-General Sirwan Barzani, Commander of Sector 6, visited Mosul and the Iraqi Command Center of Nineveh Operations to discuss cooperation.