Coalition committed to supporting Peshmerga in fight against terrorism, says top commander

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – In a meeting with Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Sunday, the head of Coalition to Defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria reiterated continuing support for Peshmerga forces in the fight against the terror group, according to a statement.

President Nechirvan Barzani received Maj. Gen. Matthew McFarlane, the commander of anti-ISIS Operation Inherent Resolve, in Erbil, where they discussed the latest political and security developments in Iraq, according to a statement from the Kurdish president’s office.

Barzani and McFarlane reiterated the importance of continuing the international coalition’s support for the Peshmerga and Iraqi army for the sake of an enduring defeat of the terror group, the statement added.

The US commander reiterated the coalition’s commitments to continue supporting the Kurdish and Iraqi forces, as they stressed the importance of security cooperation between Erbil and Baghdad cooperation, according to the press release.

The latest political developments, including the election of Iraq’s new president and efforts to form a new government was highlighted.

The officials also discussed the ongoing reform of the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs as well as the signing of the latest memorandum of understanding between the Kurdish ministry and the US Department of Defense.

However, the terror group was defeated in 2017 territorially by the Kurdish and Iraqi forces with Coalition support, it has been able to pose a threat to the security forces and civilians alike.