Iraqi army, Hashd al-Shaabi continue military buildup near Peshmerga frontlines: Minister

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Minister of Peshmerga warned on Monday that Iraqi forces and Hashd al-Shaabi continue military buildup close to the Peshmerga frontlines.

A delegation of the Peshmerga commanders headed by the acting Minister of Peshmerga, Kareem Sinjari, held a meeting with the US-led anti-Islamic State (IS) Coalition to discuss military cooperation and the military situation between Peshmerga and the Iraqi forces.

According to a statement released by Jabar Yawar, the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Peshmerga, Sinjari said in the meeting that the effort to reach a peaceful solution is ongoing.

“The dialogue between the Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi army is still ongoing; the KRG has sent its proposals to the Iraqi side and awaits their response,” Sinjari stated.

Sinjari revealed that despite negotiations, the Iraqi army and Hashd al-Shaabi arms buildup and military movements have increased.

In the previous agreements, one of the main points agreed upon was the withdrawal of the Hashd al-Shaabi in the disputed areas, Sinjari said, adding that such agreements were never implemented.

According to the statement, the Kurdish official urged the Coalition to have a bigger role in mediating between Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi army to de-escalate the situation and guarantee the implementation of the signed agreements.

In a press conference on Sunday, Yawar stated that the disputes between Erbil and Baghdad are political, not military, claiming there no conflicts between the Peshmerga Ministry and Iraqi Defense Ministry.

The Kurdish official referred to Article 9 of the Iraqi Constitution which bans the use of military offensive to resolve political disagreements.

He also invoked Article 121, which recognizes the Peshmerga Forces as an official body of Iraq's national defense system.

Editing by Sam A.