Peshmerga forces receive $12.5 million worth of US military aid

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — The United States Department of Defense officially gave $12.5 million worth of military aid to Peshmerga forces at Erbil International Airport on Thursday.

The military aid included roughly 100 vehicles, worth around $12.5 million, including Humvees, light cargo vehicles, tactical armored vehicles, and ambulances.

“In 2021, we are equipping about 12 brigades worth of equipment to the Iraqi Peshmerga forces,” Col. Dave Williams, a commander of the Kurdistan Coordination Centre (KCC) told Rudaw’s Hadi Salimi on Thursday.

“It is a drop in the bucket compared to what we give to Iraqi security forces, but proportionally it is a good thing. It will be a good year for the Ministry of Peshmerga’s regional guard brigades,” he added.

Vehicles will be given directly to brigades under ministerial command, and not political parties, the coalition confirmed, saying the aid will be used in the fight against ISIS remnants. 

Peshmerga forces have consistently fought the terror group since it took swathes of Iraq and Syria in 2014, and are a key ally for the coalition.

"We have received aid from the United States even before ISIS, since 2010, when the Ministry of Peshmerga was unified," Secretary General of Ministry of Peshmerga, Jabar Yawar, told Rudaw's Hawraz Gulpi on Wednesday.

At least 1,700 Peshmerga fighters were killed and around 10,000 injured in the fight against ISIS from 2014 onwards.

ISIS remnants continue to remain active, particularly in areas disputed between Erbil and Baghdad.

Two fighters were killed by ISIS members in Garmiyan last year.

In October, Peshmerga forces conducted a raid against ISIS militants in northern Kirkuk province.

The aid comes amid an ongoing 30-point reform project within the Ministry of Peshmerga, in collaboration with Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States, all major members of the coalition. 

The reforms include updating the salary payment system and reorganizing brigades, Major-General Bakhtyar Muhammed, military advisor and member of the ministry’s senior reform board told Rudaw’s Shahyan Tahseen on November 8.

Peshmerga brigades 14 and 16 were previously handed military aid and equipment from the US-led coalition forces in a ceremony attended by Peshmerga Minister Shorsh Ismael on November 10.

With reporting from Fazel Hawramy