Shia militias increase military presence in Kirkuk
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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – The Hashd al-Shaabi militia increase their military presence in southern Kirkuk, a Kurdistan24 reporter said.
Hash al-Shaabi militia finished a military training course for 350 fighters five kilometers south of Kirkuk, claiming they are preparing to fight the Islamic State (IS) extremists and retake the city of Hawija, south of the province.
The militia leaders in Kirkuk say that their presence is to liberate areas currently under IS control in Kirkuk and then advance towards Mosul.
Muhammed Mahdi al-Bayati, head of Hashd al-Shaabi militias in northern Iraq told Kurdistan24, “Be certain that Hashd al-Shaabi will participate in all the upcoming offensives. No area will be liberated without our participation no matter how big the force is.”
Previously, the Shia militias were bringing reinforcement to Kirkuk and its surrounding areas to liberate the village of Bashir, which was controlled by Peshmerga, after the militias failed to retake it for months.
Bayati reaffirmed Hashd al-Shaabi’s participation in the Mosul liberation operation, stating that “our fighters will participate in the Mosul offensive.”
Peshmerga forces, the Iraqi army, and Sunni tribal fighters are expected to participate in a joint operation to retake IS-held cities of Hawija in Kirkuk province and Mosul in Nineveh province.
Yelmaz Najjar, Head of 16th Hashd al-Shaabi Brigade said that these forces are trained to participate in the Hawija offensive which will start in the coming weeks.
Mahir Harki, a Peshmerga commander, previously told Kurdistan24 that Peshmerga forces are observing the advancements and developments on the front lines in Qayyara and Sharqat.
“Whenever there is an order, we will be ready to launch the operation of liberating Hawija and its surrounding areas,” Harki said.
Editing by Ava Homa