Local Arabs west of Mosul train and join Peshmerga forces

As the Iraqi army focuses on liberating western Mosul from ISIS, eastern Mosul and its outlying areas require security, so some of its local Arab population have turned to the Kurdish Peshmerga for training and to be included within the Zeravani force.

"I want to join Peshmerga units and fight ISIS. We are always ready," Amir Khidir told Rudaw, who was one of as many as 965 Arab people from the towns of Zummar and Rabiaa celebrating their completion of Peshmerga-provided training earlier this week at Khanasi Base in Sheikhan town in Nineveh province north of Mosul.

Sheikhs from the al-Shammar, al-Jihesh and al-Jabouri tribes attended the ceremony said they had asked Kurdish President Masoud Barzani to create a military force for Arabs in the area so they could contribute to their own security.

Another unit of Arabs, containing nearly 1,000 volunteers, will begin military training soon, local officials said.