SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Kurdistan Commando Forces released a statement on Wednesday, refuting a series of misleading claims that their commander, Akam Omar, was martyred amid an anti-Islamic State operation.
Earlier, Commander Convoy of the Kurdistan Commando forces struck an improvised explosive device (IED) in Sulaimani’s Garmian administration, in the midst of an anti-IS operation during the morning hours of Wednesday in the administration’s Qum Palik village.
The explosion resulted in martyring officer of the Commando Forces Zuher Mohammed and Injuring four others including the Commander, Akam Omar.
A statement from the Commando forces confirmed that they were in the midst of conducting a military operation against the Islamic State remnants in the area, blaming the terrorists for the bombing.
Following the incident, Commander Omar was severely injured. He was immediately transferred via helicopter to a hospital in Sulaimani.
Rumors and media reports circulated that Omar has succumbed to his injuries, however, the statement refuted all of the false claims.
“Commander Omar’s life is no more in danger, he is in a stable health condition and received treatment,” it said.
Moreover, Deputy of the Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Qubad Talabani has released a statement separately over the same incident, expressing his grief concerns.
“Unfortunately, loyal officer Zuher Mohammed was martyred and Commander Omar along with several other officers were injured,” Talabani said.
He pointed out the prominent role that the Commando forces have played in fighting against the Islamic State terrorist in recent years.
“The Kurdistan Commando Forces as well as Commander Omar have played a crucial role in confronting the Islamic State terrorists during the past recent years,” Talabani added.
He further said that Commander Omar and his collogues will not allow Mohammed’s blood and other martyrs of the Kurdistan Region to be wasted.
“They will strongly avenge the terrorists,” Talabani quoted.
He also extended his deepest condolences to the family of the martyr Mohammed and hoped for a speedy recovery of the injured of the terrorist action.
In the meantime, President of the Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani, in a statement on Thursday offered his condolences to the family of martyr Mohammad, hoping for early recovery as well for commander Omar and his other injured colleagues.
Kurdistan Commando Forces is a special force affiliated with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), it played a major role during the Islamic State war in Iraq since 2014, and received training from the U.S.-led collation forces, particularly France and Germany.
They are well-equipped and trained forces, in comparison to other forces, they have more own advanced weapons and military armored vehicles including tanks as well as non-combat helicopters.
Islamic State controlled roughly a third of Iraq between 2014 and 2017. Iraqi forces and Kurdish troops backed by U.S.-led Coalition forces as well as Iran-backed Shia militias defeated the militant group in 2017.
While Islamic State was driven out of most of the territory it once held in Iraq, but still many of the remnants of IS militants are still operating in the disputed territories between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the Federal Government.
The areas created a security vacuum, and terrorists exploited it to pursue their own harmful actions that destabilize the country’s security.
*This story was updated at 1758 EBL time
