Peshmerga forces deployed to Liheban: increased cooperation with Iraqi forces

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Following a spate of Islamic State (ISIS) attacks on villages located in the security vacuum of the disputed areas between Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, Peshmerga forces were deployed to the village of Liheban in Kirkuk's Sargaran sub-district on Monday in a sign of the increasing cooperation with Iraqi forces attempting to limit further violence.

The deployment comes after an uptick in ISIS attacks on Peshmerga forces and civilians in villages situated across the disputed land, as the terrorist group has taken advantage of security gaps between Peshmerga and Iraqi forces.

On Saturday, Iraqi and Kurdish forces held a high-level security meeting in Baghdad to boost cooperation between the two forces, and they have now established military bases in coordination with the Iraqi army which has enabled the Peshmerga to be deployed in Liheban, near Mount Qarachogh in Makhmour: a village they had previously only limited access to, being situated in the disputed area.

On Sunday, Liheban villagers fled their village due to a sustained ISIS attack, as ISIS concurrently attacked a Peshmerga checkpoint near the village of Qara Salim close to the town of Pirde.

Many villagers from Liheban returned to their homes on Monday, with one villager estimating that around 30 families have returned, and it is expected that more will follow now Peshmerga forces are stationed in their village.

Although no civilians have so far been harmed in Liheban, three civilian brothers aged 24, 18 and just eleven, were killed by ISIS on Thursday as they attempted to defend their home in nearby Makhmour.

Ten Peshmerga were also killed in the attack on Sunday, prompting criticism from Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani that the security vacuum between Iraqi and Kurdish forces were to blame.

Saadi Ali, a Peshmerga commander, told Rudaw on Monday that after President Barzani’s office ordered the Peshmerga to take care of the villagers in the area, their troops were deployed. “Previously, this area was a security vacuum, but now we're stepping in to conduct more patrols in the villages,” he said.

Mahmoud Khalaf, the Iraqi commander of Nineveh operations, explained that the coordination will be implemented in the Makhmour front and Nineveh province, where ISIS assaults are increasing.

“Coordination and cooperation are evident, especially in these villages. There’s no issue in the villages under our responsibility. Coordination is present throughout the region except in Liheban [where only Peshmerga will be deployed]. The coordination encompasses the Makhmour front and the entire Nineveh province,” he told Rudaw.

Ayub Abdulla, a farmer from Liheban village who fought the ISIS gunmen until dawn on Sunday, told Rudaw how relieved he was to have laid down his gun and be back home with his family, tending to his livestock.

“I am grateful to president [Massoud] Barzani and the Kurdistan Regional Government who aided us. My job is to raise livestock [not to be a soldier].”

ISIS attacks are nevertheless continuing to threaten nearby villagers, who have mounted calls on authorities to increase their security coordination in the area.

Goran Karim, from Shahal village, told Rudaw that the villagers no longer sleep at night. “We have to stay guarded. The Iraqi army is present there but the military bases aren’t close enough [to each other] to encircle the village [to protect it].”

Several villages are situated between Mount Qarachogh and the Sargaran sub-district. Due to increased ISIS attacks, aside from Liheban, they have all stood empty since last month. Time will tell if other villagers feel safe enough to return.

Translation and video editing by Sarkawt Mohammed