Iraqi Army, Kurdish Peshmerga to form joint brigades in disputed territories: Official

Halgurd Sherwani 2021/05/16 11:37

A previous agreement between Baghdad and Erbil to coordinate their military forces in Iraq's disputed territories was never implemented. (Photo: Archive)

Iraq ISIS Iraqi Army Peshmerga Disputed Territories Iraq PMF

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraq's military forces and their counterparts in the autonomous Kurdistan Region will form joint brigades to be deployed within territories disputed by both federal and regional governments to counter the continuing threat of ISIS militants there, a high-ranking Kurdish official told Kurdistan 24 on Saturday.

Abdul Khaliq Tal’at, the representative of the Kurdistan Region’s ministries of Peshmerga and Interior at Iraqi Operations Command in Baghdad detailed the ongoing talks in order to build military coordination in the areas, where ISIS has exploited the lack of cooperation between the two.

“Two joint brigades of the Iraqi Army and Peshmerga forces will be formed within disputed territories to fill the security vacuum,” Tal’at told Kurdistan 24.

“Security vacuum” is the term widely used by officials from Iraq, the Kurdistan Region, and the US-led anti-ISIS Coalition to describe the lack of unified military communication and strategy in large tracts of land ranging from Khanaqin in central Diyala province to Mosul in the north.

Following the ouster of Peshmerga forces from disputed areas in late 2017 by Iraqi forces and Iranian-backed militias, security deteriorated as attacks by ISIS fighters soared against both civilian and military targets.

“After the Eid al-Fitr holiday, the work of committees discussing joint security operations between the forces will resume,” the Kurdish military representative told Kurdistan 24, explaining that the latest meetings had been “fruitful.”

Four new committees, founded for the same purpose, will be held in each of the disputed territories, including Khanaqin, Makhmour, Gwer, and Nineveh Plain, he said.

According to Tal’at, the Shia-majority Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) have also finally been convinced that collective security efforts in these areas are required to eliminate the security vacuums, which they have also suffered from.

“Following recent ISIS attacks on PMF positions in these areas, they have also come to the conclusion that the participation of Peshmerga forces is needed,” the official concluded.

Editing by John J. Catherine