“Discussions focused on the status of the Peshmerga, the latest developments in confronting Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists, the ongoing efforts to reorganize and unify the Peshmerga units and the obstacles ahead, and the reform process in the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs with the support from the Coalition Forces,” reads a statement from the Presidency’s office.
The meeting also covered “concerns of the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs and ways to address their urgent needs, and coordination of the Peshmerga and Iraqi Federal forces with the International Coalition against ISIS, especially in areas covered by the Article 140 of the Constitution.”
Though ISIS was declared territorially defeated in 2017, security vacuums in territories disputed by Iraq’s central government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), including areas in Nineveh, Kirkuk, Salahaddin, and Diyala provinces, have served as a haven for the group’s remnants to perform terrorist activities.
An ISIS attack in a security vacuum in Kirkuk on Saturday killed three Peshmergas and left two others wounded.
Another ISIS attack late on Monday night on Popular Mobilization Forces' (PMF) brigade 16 in Kirkuk, ended with the death of one PMF soldier and three wounded, Iraqi state media reported early Tuesday morning.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi held a meeting on Sunday with commanders of the Peshmerga and Iraqi forces to discuss better coordination “in areas of joint responsibility” as well as “security plans to confront and limit security breaches, and extend security and stability throughout the country” to counter ISIS movements.
In the meeting with Barzani, attempts to unify the Peshmerga’s 70 and 80 units, which are controlled by competing Kurdish political parties, were also discussed.
There have been recent attempts to bring together Unit 70, controlled by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), and unit 80, controlled by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).
“The Kurdish leadership needs to sit down and not differentiate between 70 and 80 forces of Peshmerga,” Mustafa Chawrash, commander of Peshmerga 70 forces told Rudaw’s Snwr Majid on Sunday.
“Both sides are ready for coordination. Our enemy is one enemy. Iraq also looks at us as all the same.” If the two units can overcome their differences, “we can work as a team,” he added.
The 70 and 80 units make up the majority of the Peshmerga forces, numbering over 100,000. There are also 16 brigades, with over 30,000 soldiers in their ranks, under the command of the Peshmerga Ministry.
