ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Peshmerga forces are not returning to Kirkuk city, a top official from the force told Rudaw English late Wednesday, saying they would only be deployed to unpopulated areas. Three Arab and Turkmen members of Iraqi parliament claimed on Wednesday that Peshmerga forces are using the Islamic State (ISIS) threat against Kirkuk city as an excuse to return there, calling for the postponement of Iraqi upcoming elections in the city for a week. Iraqi parliamentary elections are scheduled for October 10. Secretary-General of the Ministry of Peshmerga Jabar Yawar told Rudaw English that such claims are only a campaigning tool and not based in reality, saying that Peshmerga will not be deployed to populated areas in Kirkuk. “Most of these statements are part of an election campaign. They use this subject for their political campaign for next month’s elections. We have reiterated several times to Iraqi and Kurdish media outlets that Kurdistan’s Peshmerga forces do not intend to enter Kirkuk city and there is no agreement regarding the deployment of Peshmerga forces to Kirkuk or any other cities mentioned by these people,” said Yawar. “The agreement between Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi Joint Operations Command is aimed at filling the gaps located outside cities. These places have been a safe haven for Daesh terrorists. For example areas located between Tuz Khurmatu and Kifri, or unpopulated areas. These areas do not even include villages but hills, valleys and mountains,” he added. The Ministry of Peshmerga announced in July talks are ongoing about the formation of two joint brigades of Iraqi and Peshmerga forces to counter ISIS remnants in disputed areas. Yawar said that they have set up six coordination centers in the disputed areas and Erbil and Baghdad. The Peshmerga official also said that the two brigades will be fully under the control of the federal government. “Peshmerga forces will be transferred to these brigades and become part of the Iraqi forces. They will no longer remain as Peshmerga but be affiliated to Iraqi Armed Forces Command. The force that will be formed will include Kurds, Arabs, Turkmen and other groups. It is not a Kurdish or Arab force,” he stated. He denied claims that the formation of these two brigades is a violation of the Iraqi constitution, adding that the Peshmerga is part of the Iraqi defense system. ISIS’ exploitation of the security gap between Peshmerga and Iraqi forces in the disputed areas has pushed both forces to increase their coordination and cooperation. ISIS was declared territorially defeated in Iraq in 2017 but its remnants continue with tactics, including ambushes, kidnappings and targeted killings in the disputed areas. Peshmerga forces lost control of Kirkuk and other areas disputed between Erbil and Baghdad in October 2017 after Iraqi forces launched an attack against them in response to the Kurdistan Region's independence referendum in these areas.
