ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A senior figure in Iraq’s Iran-aligned armed groups on Saturday sought to reassure the Kurdistan Region following the withdrawal of US-led coalition forces, saying its security was “inseparable” from that of the rest of Iraq and that the departure of American troops should not be a cause for concern.
Abu Alaa al-Wala’i, secretary-general of Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, said any threat to the Kurdistan Region was a “national concern” for all Iraqis, days after the United States completed its military withdrawal from Iraq.
“We affirm to our brothers in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq that their security and stability are an inseparable part of Iraq’s security and stability, and that any threat facing the Region is a national concern for all Iraqis,” Wala’i said in a statement.
“The US withdrawal should therefore not be a cause for concern, but rather an opportunity to reaffirm the ability of Iraqis to protect their homeland, territory, preserve their unity, and safeguard their sovereignty,” he added.
His remarks come despite repeated attacks on the Kurdistan Region by Iran-aligned Iraqi armed groups in recent years, including drone and rocket strikes targeting Erbil and facilities hosting US-led coalition forces. The Region has also faced hundreds of missile and drone attacks from Iran and allied Iraqi groups during this year’s US-Iran conflict.
Kurdish authorities have expressed concern that the US withdrawal, completed on Wednesday, could leave the Region vulnerable, particularly following the removal of American-operated air defense systems.
The Kurdistan Region’s Peshmerga ministry said ahead of the withdrawal that leaving the Region without an adequate air defense system was a “cause for concern,” while stressing that Baghdad bears primary responsibility for protecting Iraqi airspace.
Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani has also warned that the departure of US forces comes at a critical time, citing repeated missile and drone attacks against the Region and concerns over Iran-aligned Iraqi armed groups that remain outside full state control.
The final US troops left Iraq at the end of September, formally ending the US-led coalition’s Operation Inherent Resolve mission in the country. The departure has been celebrated by Iran and allied Iraqi factions, while some Iraqi and Kurdish officials have raised concerns about a potential security vacuum and the continued threat from the Islamic State (ISIS).
