UK Defense Minister: Peshmerga prove to be bravest of brave

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – Iraqi forces have gained a great victory along with Kurdish troops in northern Iraq, said a senior British official in Erbil on Saturday.

The UK Secretary of Defense Michael Fallon and his accompanying delegation arrived in Erbil and were received by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Minister of Interior and Acting Minister of Peshmerga Karim Sinjari and the head of the Department of Foreign Relations Falah Mustafa.

In response to a Kurdistan24 correspondent during a press conference, Fallon praised the role of Kurdish Peshmerga forces in the fight against the Islamic State (IS).

“Peshmerga have already proved in fighting [IS] that they are the bravest of the brave,” he stated.

“They have played a key role in the liberation of east Mosul,” Fallon continued.

“We supplied more assistance to the Peshmerga last year, and we’ll continue to consider requests that they may have for further material,” the UK minister added.

Regarding the eradication of the extremist group in Mosul, Fallon explained setting a specific date for the city’s liberation would not be wise as the operation is ongoing.

“You see in Iraq, this last few months, very substantial progress. Two million people have been liberated from living under [IS] control. That’s a huge achievement in Iraq,” he added.

Regarding the direct armament of Peshmerga by the UK, he told Kurdistan24 Britain had been arming Peshmerga through Baghdad in the past.

“We are not processing a request at the moment,” he said.

Moreover, Fallon highlighted the contribution of the UK in the Mosul operation.

He mentioned Britain’s contribution provided intelligence from the air through surveillance air crafts to monitor the movement and disposition of IS to the ground forces.

He also noted the UK carried out targeted air strikes with high precision weapons to minimize civilian casualties in support of ground operations, as well as training Iraqi and Peshmerga troops.

Commenting on the reconstruction of Mosul, Fallon said the UK had previously provided aid through the United Nations and would provide nearly £30 million specifically for Mosul’s rebuilding.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany

(Additional reporting by Mewan Dolamari)