Kurdistan
A Dutch soldier conducts training with Kurdish Peshmerga forces. File photo: Dutch Ministry of Defense
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The Dutch Ministry of Defense announced on Friday the deployment of up to 150 soldiers to Kurdistan Region’s Erbil International Airport as part of its commitment to the US-led global coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS).
“After training Kurdish armed forces, the anti-ISIS coalition switches to advising regional military authorities,” the Dutch Foreign Ministry announced on Friday, adding that “100 to 150 soldiers are going to secure Erbil International Airport in Northern Iraq.”
The Dutch Force Protection Unit, deployed under a decision made by Council of Ministers of Netherlands on Friday, will “protect personnel and equipment there,” along with the United States. The first soldiers are expected to arrive as soon as January.
Dutch forces have been providing training for Kurdish Peshmerga and Iraqi soldiers as a member of the Global Coalition that was formed in September 2014 after ISIS militants took control of large swathes of northern Iraq and Syria. Its 83 members work towards dismantling the militants’ ambitions and infrastructure.
“One of the main Coalition bases against ISIS for military training is in the Erbil Airport,” the Kurdistan Regional Government Representative to the European Union, Dlawar Azhgayi, told Rudaw.
The foreign troops “secure and supervise the military exercises carried out there,” he added.
ISIS was declared territorially defeated in Iraq in December 2017, however the group’s remnants have returned to their earlier insurgency tactics, carrying out low-scale attacks in areas disputed between Kurdish and Iraq forces.
The Prime Minister of Netherlands, Mark Rutte, in a meeting with Kurdistan Region’s Prime Minister Masrour Barzani in early November, expressed his country’s readiness to support the Kurdistan Region in efforts to defeat terrorism and assist the Peshmerga.
Correction: A previous version of this article quoted a Kurdistan Regional Government official as saying that the Netherlands would be taking over the supervision of military activities at the base at Erbil International Airport from the United States. The Netherlands will not be leading supervision of the course, a spokesperson from the Dutch Consulate in Erbil told Rudaw on April 8, 2021; the piece has been corrected to reflect this.
Updated on April 8, 2021
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