CJTF-OIR Says Coalition Training Peshmerga Snipers in Kirkuk Training Centre

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — The Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) announced on Saturday that coalition forces are assisting in training Peshmerga soldiers in advanced sniper tactics, techniques, and procedures as part of a three-week specialized course at the Kirkuk Training Centre.

In a statement posted on the task force’s official X account, CJTF-OIR said the training underscores the coalition’s continued commitment to strengthening Iraq’s security forces and supporting the development of a sustainable and inclusive Peshmerga command capable of securing sovereign borders, protecting civilians, and ensuring the enduring defeat of ISIS.

The sniper course focuses on precision marksmanship, battlefield awareness, target acquisition, and coordinated sniper operations. Coalition trainers are working closely with Peshmerga personnel to enhance both individual proficiency and unit-level effectiveness, officials said.

Although ISIS was territorially defeated in Iraq in 2017, the group continues to pose a threat through sleeper cells and sporadic attacks, particularly in disputed territories such as Kirkuk, Diyala, and parts of Nineveh.

These areas have long been identified by Iraqi and coalition commanders as vulnerable to militant infiltration due to complex terrain and security gaps.

CJTF-OIR emphasized that specialized training, including sniper capabilities, plays a critical role in counterterrorism operations by improving surveillance, force protection, and the ability to disrupt insurgent movements with precision.

Operation Inherent Resolve, led by the United States and supported by an international coalition, has increasingly shifted from direct combat operations to training, advising, and assisting Iraqi and Peshmerga forces.

A key objective has been the professionalization and reform of the Peshmerga, including efforts to unify command structures and improve coordination with the Iraqi Security Forces.

Coalition-backed programs have previously focused on areas such as counter-IED operations, intelligence sharing, logistics, and leadership development.

The Kirkuk Training Centre has emerged as a focal point for these initiatives, particularly in strategically sensitive areas that require close coordination between local and federal forces.

In its statement, CJTF-OIR said continued investment in training and institutional development remains essential to preventing an ISIS resurgence and maintaining stability across Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.

By enhancing specialized skills and strengthening command structures, coalition officials say the mission aims to enable local forces to independently secure their territory and protect civilians, reinforcing long-term security gains achieved since ISIS’s defeat.

The sniper training comes amid broader efforts by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to enhance the operational readiness and professionalism of the Peshmerga forces through large-scale exercises and sustained coalition-backed training programs.

Last month, the Kurdistan Region’s First Support Forces conducted a major military exercise in the mountainous Pers area, demonstrating advanced operational planning and the effective deployment of heavy and medium weaponry in complex terrain.

According to the Ministry of Peshmerga, the exercise aimed to showcase the technical and operational progress achieved by officers and troops under the First Support Forces’ command following an extensive series of training programs coordinated with the KRG Directorate of Military Training and coalition forces.

More than 611 Peshmerga officers and personnel completed nine advanced courses covering artillery, mortars, rocket systems, tanks, armored vehicles, engineering, infantry, and communications, in addition to multiple basic and intermediate training programs.

The field phase of the maneuver, dubbed “Lion Maneuver,” was held on December 15, 2025, and featured combined-arms operations involving tanks, armored vehicles, artillery, and engineering units, executed with a high level of tactical proficiency.

The drill served both as a demonstration of force and as a comprehensive assessment of the Peshmerga’s readiness to conduct modern military operations.

Senior KRG and Peshmerga officials attended the exercise, including Minister of Peshmerga Shorsh Ismail, Deputy Minister Abdul Khaleq Babiri, Chief of Staff Major General Issa Uzeir, and other senior officers, under the supervision of First Support Forces Commander General Sehad Barzani. Officials said the exercise reflected significant progress in command-and-control structures and battlefield coordination.

Since the outbreak of the war against ISIS in 2014, coalition training and logistical support—led by the United States—have played a central role in modernizing the Peshmerga, particularly in artillery, armored warfare, counterinsurgency operations, and communications.

U.S. and coalition advisers continue to work closely with the KRG Ministry of Peshmerga to design training curricula, supervise exercises, and provide technical expertise, ensuring interoperability with coalition forces while maintaining the Peshmerga’s operational independence.

KRG officials have repeatedly emphasized that such exercises are essential for strengthening the Peshmerga’s ability to respond to evolving regional security threats, prevent an ISIS resurgence, and safeguard stability in northern Iraq, underscoring the long-term strategic partnership between the Kurdistan Region and coalition forces.