The two joint brigades of Iraqi army and the Kurdish Peshemrga forces have passed training and await armament and budget in order to be deployed in the border points of Kirkuk and the disputed territories, spokesperson of the Iraqi operations’ command said.
The Iraqi government has not drafted 2022 budget amid political disputed for nomination of Iraqi president and premier following October 10th general elections.
Major General Tahsin al-Khafaji, spokesperson of the Iraqi joint operations’ command, told KirkukNow said all issues concerning these two brigades were completed “except approval of 2022 budget to cover salaries and expenses.”
“Their deployment will be delayed as long as 2022 budget is not approved.”
The two joint brigades of the Iraqi army and the Kurdish Peshmerga had intensive training separately in Baghdad and Erbil last year in order to form two joint brigades to be tasked and deployed last December to secure hundreds of kilometers of security gap which ranges from Khanaqin on the border with Iran via Kirkuk up to Sihela on the borders with Syria.
The efforts were intensified following tens of attacks by the regrouping militants of the Islamic State in Iraq and Levant ISIS targeted the Peshmerga forces in Diyala, Kirkuk and Ninewa borderlines.
The teams of Iraqi ministry of defense and Ministry of Peshemrga MOP under the Kurdistan Regional Government KRG are negotiating over months to form two joint brigades to fill in the security gap in the disputed territories.
General Jabar Yawarmanda, secretary general of MOP, earlier told KirkukNow there is a mutual understanding not signed agreement to form these two brigades “supposed to be in force last July but it was delayed to some logistic and financial points.”
Gen. Yawarmanda said the brigade of the MOP wass under training the same as the Iraqi army and they will be mixed into joint forces in December in order to be deployed in the disputed territories in January.
Regarding points of deployment, the secretary general of MOP said this will be based on surveys about points where ISIS militants are active lately.
The command will be based in K1 military base south of Kirkuk
The regrouping militants of ISIS have attacked Peshmerga points in Kifri for three successive nights while the Peshmerga senior commanders deny any security gap between the Peshemrga and the Iraqi forces in the disputed territories in Diyala, Kirkuk, Ninewa and Salahaddin.
Sleeper cells and resistant pockets of ISIS militants are regrouping in the rural areas of the disputed territories between Baghdad and Erbil. They are posing a high threat by different tactics such as hit-and-run attacks, kidnappings, IEDs and roadside bombs targeting the Iraqi forces and civilians.
Two soldiers were killed, three were injured in attack by ISIS militants against unit 14 of Iraqi army in village of Harra, Makhmur district, Nineveh early hours of March 13, security source told KirkukNow. Separately, a policeman was injured by IS militants in Rashad sub-district, southwest of Kirkuk
End of January, two soldiers were killed, three were injured in attack by ISIS militants against unit 14 of Iraqi army in village of Harra, Makhmur district, Nineveh early hours of March 13, security source told KirkukNow. Separately, a policeman was injured by IS militants in Rashad sub-district, southwest of Kirkuk
The Iraqi government is pay these brigades and the international coalition to supply weapon and military equipment.
“The command will be based in K1 military base south of Kirkuk,” Khafaji said. “It is a point of concern for the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan region as their deployment will result in major security changes by minimizing terrorist threats.
The Iraqi and Kurdish forces have agreed in May to form joint cooperation centers in Baghdad, Erbil, Kirkuk, Diyala and Ninewa to share intelligence and military information and data.
Following the emergence of ISIS, Kurdish forces controlled the disputed territories up to October 2017 when Iraqi forces retook control of those areas following the war against ISIS.
The figures about ISIS attacks by the ministry of Peshmerga MOP under the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government KRG show they have carried out 2412 attacks in the last four years since 2018.
General Yawar told voice of America VOA Kurdish service Mid-November, "We have not agreed with Baghdad when it has declared end of Daesh in 2017 since it has led 2412 attacks up to last October. About 1742 attacks were carried out in 2018, 270 in 2019, 230 in 2020, 170 in 2021 up to end of October."
However, an Iraqi army commander, declared end of February that the past three months was calm and security stable for Khanaqin district, northeast of Baghdad especially to the sub-districts and villages affiliated with the district, previously a scene of severe attacks by regrouping sleeper cells of ISIS.
