ERBIL, Kurdistan Region— The Syrian government welcomed on Tuesday the deployment of Peshmerga forces to the besieged town of Kobane, describing it as “a patriotic move.”
“IS is the enemy of humanity and everyone else and we see sending the Peshmerga to Kobane positive,” Syrian National Reconciliation Minister, Ali Haidar told Rudaw. “The Kurds need to support their brethren.”
Haidar said that Damascus welcomes “any act that will lead to the destruction of the Islamic State.”
Meanwhile, Kurdistan’s Peshmerga minister said forces sent to Kobane today will operate under the direct command of his ministry and that he is confident they will triumph in their mission.
Minister Mustafa Sayid Qader told Rudaw that a unit of 150 Peshmergas who left the Kurdistan Region on Tuesday to join the Kurdish defenders of Kobane “are well trained and armed with advanced weapons.”
The unit will provide heavy weapons cover, including artillery, to fighters of the Peoples Protection Units (YPG) who have been holding out in the predominantly Kurdish town for more than 40 days with air support from US-led coalition warplanes.
Qader said that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has coordinated the Peshmerga deployment with Turkey, the United States and Kurdish authorities in Kobane.
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