Pirde remains tense one year on from Peshmerga-Iraqi Army clash

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Pirde, a town on the Little Zab River where the Peshmerga and the Iraqi Army clashed on October 20, 2017, remains tense one year on, according to the Peshmerga’s Pirde front supervisor. 

“Up to now, Pirde’s situation hasn’t become normal. It is only that there is no fighting. Otherwise, the situation is unstable, and the Peshmerga and Iraqi forces have no communication or collaboration,” Nouri Hama Ali told Rudaw, 

The Peshmerga currently has a single representative in the joint operations room with Iraqi forces.

Iraqi forces stationed in Kirkuk are from southern and central Iraq. “As long as they don’t go back, the situation won’t become normal,” Hama added.

On October 20, 2017, just four days after Peshmerga forces withdrew from Kirkuk the disputed territories, Iraqi forces, backed by pro-Iran Hashd al-Shaabi paramilitias, attempted to cross the constitutional border of the Kurdistan Region into the province of Erbil.

However, the Peshmerga was able to halt the advance. 

The Pirde Bridge on the Erbil-Kirkuk road was destroyed in the fighting. A temporary steel bridge has since been built and the road reopened. Peshmerga and Iraqi forces patrol their respective sides. 

Masoud Barzani, former president of the Kurdistan Region, commemorated the anniversary.

“Today marks the one year anniversary of the epic battle of Pirde. My salutes to the souls of the martyred heroes of that day and all the brave Peshmerga forces who participated in the battle,” Barzani tweeted Saturday.

“On a day like this, on October 20, 2017, the people of Kurdistan, in a great epic full of bravery, fended of the attack and plot of internal and external enemies,” read a statement from the Peshmerga Operations Command Room. 

“That plot started with the big treason of October 16, when they left Peshmerga’s back and sold Kirkuk, the head of Kurdistan, for a cheap price. 

“This treason resulted in our enemies thinking the Kurdistan Region an easy pill to swallow and wanted to conquer it, thus heading towards the capital Erbil, but in a defense full of bravery, in Pirde, Peshmerga destroyed the offense of the enemies and occupiers, burying their deplorable purpose.”