President Barzani emphasized the importance of “strong military coordination and cooperation between the Peshmerga and Iraqi forces to fill the security gap between them so they repel ISIS together, which is a common enemy, that has been attacking the peace and stability of the whole country,” read a statement from the presidency.
Barzani also ordered for the needs of the Peshmerga forces, which were addressed in the meeting, to be fulfilled with cooperation from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and affiliated authorities, it added.
The president’s meeting with the Peshmerga commanders, Peshmerga minister, and the interior minister follows a series of ISIS attacks that have led to the death of 22 Kurdish soldiers, three civilians, and several others injured.
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
The terror group attacked Peshmerga in Kirkuk late on Sunday, killing four of them.
The militant group also claimed responsibility for a Thursday attack on two villages in southwest Erbil near the town of Makhmour that left 10 Peshmerga fighters and three civilians dead.
During the meeting, President Barzani also called for further cooperation between the Peshmerga forces according to the statement.
A high-level security meeting was held between Iraqi and Kurdish forces to ramp up cooperation between Iraqi and Kurdish forces on Saturday, as Kurdish officials have widely blamed the recent increase in ISIS attacks on the 40-kilometer security gap between the two forces.
A joint effort between the Iraqi and the Kurdish governments is the only way to eliminate the resurgence of ISIS and limit its activities, Abdul Amir al-Shammari, the deputy commander of Iraqi Joint Operations told Rudaw’s Sangar Abdulrahman on Sunday.
However, Shammari said the recent attacks have occurred in Kurdish-controlled areas while Secretary-General of the Ministry of Peshmerga Jabar Yawar said they were originating from areas controlled by Iraqi forces.
“I can say that whenever ISIS attacks Peshmerga forces, they come from areas controlled by Iraqi forces, and after they are done, they return to those areas,” Yawar told Rudaw last week.
President Barzani also “affirmed the people of Kurdistan that the Peshmerga will defend them with all their abilities and the presidency, the government and all the Kurdistan Region authorities will provide the assistance and the needed support for the Peshmerga to succeed,” read the presidency’s statement.
