ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen has reportedly decided to train Yezidi Kurds for the fight against ISIS, according to a report in the German Bild newspaper released Monday.
“The German army is ready to set up a regiment to train Yezidis who want to liberate their occupied territories from the Islamic State in northern Iraq,” Bild said quoting Leyen.
“The Peshmerga will undertake the preparations of the regiment,” she said. “To do that, the Peshmerga will prove to the world that everyone aims to combat extremism and terrorism.”
In a visit to the Kurdistan region in the beginning of 2015, Leyen said German military advisers and Peshmerga soldiers working together would enable them to assess the Peshmerga's needs in their fight against ISIS.
Following Leyen’s visit on January 12, a new batch of arms and ammunition was delivered to the Peshmerga by Germany.
