Peshmerga forces receive new thermal vision device

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdish forces on Sunday received a training on the use of a newly received military device, the Peshmerga ministry said in a statement as the soldiers work towards boosting security in areas disputed between Baghdad and Erbil which are seeing an increase in Islamic State (ISIS) activities.

The Peshmerga forces on Sunday were trained to use thermal binoculars, the Ministry of Peshmerga said. The device provides advanced imaging capabilities and helps monitor battle fronts.

The Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani provided the Peshmerga fronts and brigades with the binoculars. Barzani ordered addressing the needs of the Kurdish forces in a meeting with commanders on Monday following a surge in ISIS attacks.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi also vowed to deliver advanced military equipment to the Peshmerga during his visit to Makhmour town on Wednesday.

ISIS seized control of swaths of land in Iraq in 2014. It was declared territorially defeated in 2017 but it remains a threat to the country as it continues to carry out bombings, hit-and-run attacks, and abductions across several provinces

The terror group has launched a series of attacks since November 27 in disputed territories, killing 22 Kurdish soldiers and two members of the Iraqi army.

The recent offensives provoked worry among Iraqi and Kurdish leaders who called for stronger cooperation between Erbil and Baghdad to fill the security gap between them that ISIS attempts to exploit.

The Peshmerga forces lack developed military equipment and have a range of outdated supplies. The global anti-ISIS coalition has provided rounds of aid to the Kurdish fighters over the years. It gave over 200 vehicles, including Humvees, water tankers and transport trucks to the Peshmerga in July and September. 

The Peshmerga and Iraqi federal forces conveyed in Makhmour on Sunday after a high-level security delegation arrived in the town, the Peshmerga ministry said.

The forces discussed security cooperation and joint operations to curb ISIS activities as well as developed military technology. 

“We discussed advanced technology such as unmanned [combat] aerial vehicles, thermal cameras and we requested to have them provided for us,” Peshmerga Chief of Staff Jamal Eminki told Rudaw following the meeting.

The Peshmerga and Iraqi forces also launched a security operation on Wednesday in the Kifri-Garmaser front where the terror group has been recently active.

The Iraqi army and Peshmerga started talks in July to form two joint brigades to counter ISIS remnants but efforts have so far stalled.