ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Peshmerga forces will move into areas with security vacuums which the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) used to enter Kurdish-controlled areas, an official for the Kurdistan Region’s forces said on Monday.
A unit of Iraq’s Iran-backed PMF, consisting of an estimated 150 vehicles, entered the Qamar oilfield near Kulajo town in the disputed Kifri district on Sunday, raising concerns among Kurdish officials.
“After the withdrawal of the Hashd al-Shaabi [PMF forces] from the area who entered illegally, the situation in the area and Kulajo village has normalized,” Kawa Gharib, commander of the Peshmerga’s Brigade 5, told Rudaw on Monday.
He assured that “the security vacuums will be filled.” Kifri and its surrounding villages are about 100 kilometers southeast of Kirkuk city. Kulajo, in the Kifri district, has become a de facto line between Iraqi and Kurdish-controlled territories.
PMF forces began withdrawing on Sunday following talks between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Baghdad authorities, according to Peshmerga officials.
“The Popular Mobilization Forces will not return in any way and all the areas are under the control of the Peshmerga forces,” Gharib added.
Talib al-Moussawi, PMF Diyala operations commander, told Rudaw on Sunday that their operations were conducted in coordination with Peshmerga forces. There had also been reports that the PMF had informed Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leader Bafel Talabani of their temporary move to conduct a security operation against alleged ISIS militants in the area.
PUK media and some Peshmerga officials have denied these claims.
While the KRG’s Ministry of Peshmerga is engaged in unification reforms with the US-led international coalition, Kurdistan's forces remain highly partisan. The PUK Unit 70’s primary area of influence is Sulaimani, and the KDP’s Unit 80 is Erbil.
Malik Mohammed contributed to this report.
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