PM Barzani decrees forming three new Peshmerga brigades

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Tuesday decreed the formation of three new brigades at the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs as part of the Kurdish force's unification efforts, according to a government statement.

The formation work of the Brigades 26, 28, and 30 has already begun, the government statement read.

The decision was made in line with the Reform and Unification Law of the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs, according to the press release.

In April, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani announced the formation of two new infantry divisions of Peshmerga forces, including the unified units of the Kurdish forces.

The infantry divisions include four brigades, consisting of 1,200 members of the Peshmerga forces that come from the unified units as the result of the Coalition-backed reform program.

The program is supported by the US-led coalition members, particularly the US, the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands that similarly assist and enable the forces to fight the ISIS remnants.

The two forces used to be affiliated with the two major political parties: Unit 70 is affiliated with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) while its counterpart, Unit 80, was under the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) command.

Despite the political challenges, the reform program has progressed, unifying the Supporting Forces of 1 and 2, as well as 20 brigades that were previously under the command of the party forces, President Barzani has previously said.

More than a thousand Kurdish troops were killed in the fight against the terror group during the three-year war, beginning in the summer of 2014.