US-led coalition praises continued Iraqi, Peshmerga, SDF efforts to combat ISIS remnants
He added that the Peshmerga “are reliable and dedicated to enhancing their capabilities” to defeat ISIS.
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The United States-led coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) has praised continued efforts by the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), the Kurdish Peshmerga, and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to combat ISIS.
In a tweet on Saturday, Col. Todd Burroughs, Deputy Director of the coalition’s Military Advisor Group (North) in the Kurdistan Region, once again praised the Kurdistan Region Peshmerga forces, calling them “reliable partners” that are “essential” as the coalition transitions to an advise and assist mission in Iraq.
He added that the Peshmerga “are reliable and dedicated to enhancing their capabilities” to defeat ISIS.
Reliable partners are essential as @CJTFOIR transitions to the #AdviseAssistEnable mission. The #Peshmerga in the @KRG_MOPE are reliable and dedicated to enhancing their capabilities to #DefeatDaesh. #StrongerTogether #PeshmergaProfessionalism pic.twitter.com/b3ruNmIitZ
— Deputy Director MAG-North Colonel Todd Burroughs (@DepDirMAGN) November 27, 2021
Also, on Saturday, the official Twitter account for the US-led coalition noted that the ISF also “remain ready & capable” to combat the ISIS threat as the coalition transitions to its advise and assist role, which it must do by Dec. 31, 2021, under an agreement between the United States government and Baghdad.
The tweet, citing an earlier tweet from Iraqi military spokesperson Yehia Rasool, noted that the ISF destroyed an ISIS hideout in Diyala province this week that contained a cache of ammo.
Our ISF partners remain ready & capable as we shift to #AdviseAssistEnable them. Recently, the ISF destroyed a Daesh hideout containing a cache of ammo in Diyala, said @IraqiSpoxMOD. Together, we remain committed to ensure the lasting #DefeatDaesh. https://t.co/bFHQ5U05dE
— Inherent Resolve (@CJTFOIR) November 27, 2021
“Together, we remain committed to ensuring the lasting #DefeatDaesh,” the coalition account said, using an alternative acronym for ISIS.
On Friday, the official coalition account noted that the Kurdish-led SDF in Syria also continues “to dismantle Daesh remnants.”
It pointed to the SDF’s capture of three ISIS weapons facilitators earlier in the week and reiterated that the coalition and the SDF “remain committed to prevent a Daesh resurgence in NE Syria.”
The coalition has been helping the SDF combat ISIS sleeper cells, especially in the Arab-majority province of Deir al-Zor.
Our SDF partners continue to dismantle Daesh remnants with the capture of 3 weapons facilitators. With Coalition support, we remain committed to prevent a Daesh resurgence in NE Syria. #StrongerTogether https://t.co/cOb2yR8U4M
— Inherent Resolve (@CJTFOIR) November 26, 2021
The ISF and the Peshmerga also face a continued threat from ISIS remnants operating in security gaps between their positions in disputed territories such as Kirkuk and Diyala.
All three armed forces played major roles in resisting ISIS’s self-styled caliphate and ultimately destroying it in a series of battles and offensives that were backed by the US-led coalition.