Kurdish, Iraqi forces meet in Baghdad following increased ISIS attacks
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A high-level security meeting was held on Saturday in Baghdad between Kurdish Peshmerga forces and Iraqi forces to ramp up cooperation following a deadly attack by the Islamic State (ISIS) group on civilians and Peshmerga, Iraq’s security media cell published.
“It was agreed to strengthen intelligence work and increase cooperation between the central [Iraqi] and Region’s forces and to combat terrorist operations and prevent their occurrence,” the statement, issued by Joint Operations Command and published on Telegram read.
“It was agreed to continue bilateral meetings between the joint security and military leaders to develop a clear vision for confronting terrorism,” added the statement.
Three civilians and 18 Peshmerga fighters have been killed in the attacks conducted in recent days by ISIS militants in areas disputed by Erbil and Baghdad. The group has increased its attacks on Kurdish forces in these areas.
The latest was late on Thursday night when ten Peshmerga fighters and three civilians were killed with others injured in Erbil’s Makhmour town.
“Daesh [Arabic acronym for ISIS] is not looking to control cities and places, they are aiming to kill, injure and weaken the forces,” the Kurdistan Region’s Vice President Sheikh Jaafar Sheikh Mustafa, who is also the former commander of the Unit 70 forces, told Rudaw on Saturday.
Sheikh Mustafa complained that these attacks were because of a lack of “coordination, joint forces, operations room, and exchange of intelligence information.”
The Peshmerga ministry announced in July they were working on the formation of two joint brigades of Iraqi and Peshmerga forces to counter ISIS remnants in the disputed areas, cooperating in order to reduce the threat of the group’s resurgence. But they later announced in September the establishment will be delayed until after the election, which were held on October 10.
Sheikh Mustafa says the joint brigades haven’t been fully formed or received adequate training and weaponry.
He called on the coalition forces for support. “We are asking the coalition, we need the coalition forces’ every capacity, force, and help, in returning their fighting forces to help, in terms of returning their air support, in terms of training Peshmerga and equipment.”
Washington, which leads an 82-member coalition to fight ISIS, is under pressure to withdraw from Iraq. Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi met with US ambassador to Iraq Matthew Tueller to discuss progress in the US-led Coalition's shift from combat and into an advisory role.
Sirwan Barzani, commander of Peshmerga forces in Makhmour, told Rudaw late Friday that the US-led global coalition against ISIS have decreased airstrikes against the group “because the Daesh [ISIS] movements have changed. Now, their tactic is to carry out partisan war, and by the time the [war]planes arrive they hide or go into the caves and tunnels.”
The coalition shared photographs of a recently-conducted operation against ISIS with Kurdish forces on Saturday without providing details. “We will continue to work side by side with our partners forces to #DefeatDaesh,” it said.
ISIS seized control of swaths of land in Iraq in 2014. It was declared territorially defeated in 2017, but continues to carry out bombings, hit-and-run attacks, and abductions across several provinces. Peshmerga officials have blamed the deadly ISIS attacks on a lack of coordination between them and Iraqi forces in the disputed areas.
Militants often take advantage of security gaps between Iraqi forces and the Peshmerga. Occasionally, they attack surrounding villages, bringing about chaos.
“There are 100 - 150 people [ISIS] in the area, they have created chaos, they are not a force that defends, they attack and return. Their formation and resting place is Gharra area. Civilians help them too, for sure,” Ibrahim Ahmed, Peshmerga commader in the Qaratapa-Hamrin front said on Saturday.
Additional reporting by Sangar Abdulrahman, Huner Hamid