Middle East
Major Rachael Jeffcoat, anti-ISIS coalition spokesperson, speaking to Rudaw on December 31, 2022. Photo: Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The spokesperson for the global coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) on Friday reiterated the military alliance’s support for Peshmerga forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in their continuing fight against the remnants of the terrorist group.
Major Rachael Jeffcoat, spokesperson for the Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR), told Rudaw on Friday that they will continue to advise and assist both Kurdish forces.
“We do support the Peshmerga through the Counter-ISIS Train and Equip Fund. This is a temporary US-funded program that supports our coalition partners … We have divested $351 million to Peshmerga and this covers the costs for, say, equipment such as Humvees or engineering equipment and ammunition. And all of this is used in our mission to defeat ISIS,” Major Jeffcoat told Rudaw’s Nalin Hassan.
She added that the US-led coalition is also helping Peshmerga to make reforms in the force.
At least 12,000 SDF fighters as well as 2,000 Peshmerga forces have been killed in the battle against ISIS since 2014.
ISIS has recently increased operations against Iraqi forces in the areas disputed between Erbil and Baghdad, killing several Iraqi soldiers.
Tensions between Turkey and the SDF have escalated recently after Ankara launched an aerial military operation against the force in northeast Syria (Rojava). Turkey has also threatened to conduct a ground operation against the SDF in the near future - a move internationally opposed.
The US army keeps about nearly 1,000 troops in Rojava, according to the latest data shared by Kurdish authorities with Rudaw English.
“The SDF is a credible force that we work with that we partner with. And they are our only combat credible force in northeast Syria and we will maintain to advise, assist, [and] enable that Syrian Democratic Forces,” the spokesperson told Rudaw.
The SDF had recently paused anti-ISIS operations as well as joint patrols with the coalition due to Turkish attacks but later resumed them.
“ISIS constantly looks for targets of opportunities … such as advantages and weather and regional instability. That’s why the coalition’s mission is so important here. We advise, assist and enable our partners forces in both Iraq and northeast Syria,” noted Major Jeffcoat.
She also said that the coalition forces and its partners carried out 313 operations against ISIS in 2022.
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