Iraq
Iraqi army vehicles pass through Peshmerga forces on their way to the Makhmour front. File Photo: Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - With funds from the federal budget approved, joint brigades between the Iraqi army and Kurdish Peshmerga forces are expected to start operations within the next month, a member of the security committee in the Iraqi parliament said on Saturday.
Sagvan Yusuf, member of the parliament’s security and defense committee, told Rudaw that Iraq’s Defense Minister Thabit Abbas informed him last week that the budget is finalized and the brigades will start operating within the month.
The defense ministry is just waiting to receive the funds from the ministry of finance, according to Yusuf.
In response to escalating Islamic State (ISIS) activities in areas disputed between the federal and regional governments around Kirkuk, Diyala, Khanaqin, Salahaddin, and western Nineveh, the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Peshmerga ministry agreed in 2021 to from two joint brigades. Militants have taken advantage of the security vacuum that exists between federal and regional forces in these areas.
Despite the agreement, formation of the brigades was delayed because of turmoil around forming the government after the 2021 election and lack of funding.
The two brigades will be fully under the control of the Iraqi federal government, former Secretary-General of the Ministry of Peshmerga Jabar Yawar told Rudaw English in 2021.
In the Pentagon’s most recent report on anti-ISIS activities up to the end of June, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) noted that there was no movement on the creation of the joint brigades, but said Iraqi and Peshmerga forces were working more closely together on counter-ISIS operations.
In March, Brig. Gen. Yehia Rasool, military spokesperson for the Iraqi prime minister, said that the formation and all administrative procedures for the two brigades were complete and they were waiting for the parliament to approve the budget bill.
The Iraqi parliament passed its highly contentious budget law in June, after months of negotiations.
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