France sends new military aid shipments to Kurdistan
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – Two shipments of French military assistance for Peshmerga forces arrived in the Kurdistan Region on Wednesday.
After a statement by the French General Consulate in Erbil about the delivery of military supplies, the packages arrived at the Erbil International Airport in two stages, one on June 11 and the second on June 15.
“Another shipment of weapons, ammunition and military equipment will arrive on June 17,” the statement added.
According to the announcement, the military aid included MM89 rockets, thousands of different types of ammunition, defense and attacking grenades, night-vision goggles, military uniform for dozens of Peshmerga battalions, and food.
On Monday, Jabar Yawar, the spokesperson for the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Ministry of Peshmerga, told Kurdistan24, that “new French arms supplies will arrive in Erbil.”
In April, Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French Defense Minister, visited Erbil to reiterate his country’s support for the Peshmerga forces in the fight against Islamic State (IS) extremists.
In a statement to journalists, Le Drian said, “I came here to thank the French military trainers and advisers as well as meet with the Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani and Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani to reiterate the support of France to Peshmerga forces in the fight against [IS].”
France is known for having historical relations with the Kurdistan Region. In 1992, it played a significant role in the United Nations Security Council Resolution 688 for Operation Provide Comfort (OPC).
Additionally, French President François Hollande was the first world president to visit the Kurdistan following IS attacks on the Region in August 2014.
Editing by Karzan Sulaivany
