WASHINGTON, D.C. — The planned September referendum on independence will not affect or hinder the Kurdish Peshmerga’s continued fight against ISIS, a Peshmerga general told reporters in Washington.
"We are ready," said Peshmerga Brig. Gen. Halgurd Hikmat who attended the anti-ISIS coalition meeting in the US.
Hikmat explained that the September 25 referendum initiated by President Masoud Barzani is about the future of a people, adding that it is a political matter and the Peshmerga will stay out of it.
The Kurdish army will continue to defend Kurdistan Region’s land and borders, he maintained.
The Kurdish general explained that Peshmerga will continue their cooperation with the Iraqi army to liberate all parts of Nineveh province and areas like Hawija, regardless of the referendum.
The Iraqi army and Kurdish Peshmerga formed a joint operations command shortly before the Mosul operation of October 2016 which was hailed by Erbil and Baghdad as well as the United States.
US Army Col. Ryan Dillon, the spokesperson for the global coalition to defeat ISIS, Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasoul, the spokesperson of Iraq's Joint Operations Command, Brig. Gen. Halgurd Hikmat, the spokesman for the Peshmerga ministry, and Brig. Gen. Saad Mann, a spokesman for the Iraqi Interior Ministry and Baghdad Operations Command, speak during an anti-ISIS coalition briefing at the Pentagon on Thursday. Photo: US DoD
Hikmat added that now the war is mostly over in and around Mosul, the Peshmerga understand that the liberated areas have to be stabilized.
The coalition met to discuss priorities to build on the progress in Mosul on Thursday.
"We are ready," said Peshmerga Brig. Gen. Halgurd Hikmat who attended the anti-ISIS coalition meeting in the US.
Hikmat explained that the September 25 referendum initiated by President Masoud Barzani is about the future of a people, adding that it is a political matter and the Peshmerga will stay out of it.
The Kurdish army will continue to defend Kurdistan Region’s land and borders, he maintained.
The Kurdish general explained that Peshmerga will continue their cooperation with the Iraqi army to liberate all parts of Nineveh province and areas like Hawija, regardless of the referendum.
The Iraqi army and Kurdish Peshmerga formed a joint operations command shortly before the Mosul operation of October 2016 which was hailed by Erbil and Baghdad as well as the United States.
US Army Col. Ryan Dillon, the spokesperson for the global coalition to defeat ISIS, Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasoul, the spokesperson of Iraq's Joint Operations Command, Brig. Gen. Halgurd Hikmat, the spokesman for the Peshmerga ministry, and Brig. Gen. Saad Mann, a spokesman for the Iraqi Interior Ministry and Baghdad Operations Command, speak during an anti-ISIS coalition briefing at the Pentagon on Thursday. Photo: US DoD
Hikmat added that now the war is mostly over in and around Mosul, the Peshmerga understand that the liberated areas have to be stabilized.
He stressed meanwhile that to completely defeat ISIS it was important to eliminate the "radical ideology" of ISIS through the Coalition's support and cooperation with the Iraqi army.
The coalition met to discuss priorities to build on the progress in Mosul on Thursday.
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