SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani said on Wednesday that the Peshmerga forces destroyed the myth of Islamic State (ISIS) militants during the fight against the group, in response to media outlets which spread misinformation about the role of Peshmerga.
Earlier this month, some Iranian media outlets released two short films featuring a dramatized version of Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani’s actions to help the Kurdistan Region during the battle against ISIS.
The narrative in the last nine-minute film released by Farsnews claims to show efforts of former president Masoud Barzani to save the Region by appealing to the allies to send reinforcements to strengthen Peshmerga defenses.
The film claims that Erbil would have fallen to the militant group if it was not for Soleimani. Kurdish officials have said Iran was the first country to offer assistance to the Peshmerga, but refuted it was Soleimani who defeated the group alone.
“The fight against ISIS is being discussed in several media and political centers recently. There is a fact that should not be hidden: ISIS is the enemy of all humanity and the fight against ISIS is not an easy war because it has a broad and multi-sided front,” said Barzani, leader of Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).
“One part cannot defeat ISIS alone. Its defeat required cooperation and joint work of all parties and the international community,” he further said in a statement.
“At the time of ISIS war, we thanked the Coalition and Americans for their help for Kurdistan’s Peshmerga forces. We thanked all the parties who participated in the war and assisted the Peshmerga, but all parties should know that the one who protected Kurdistan from the threat of ISIS on the round with blood and sacrifices was the Peshmerga forces of Kurdistan,” he added.
“No one or party can hide the fact that the myth of ISIS was destroyed on the hand of heroic boys of Kurdistan nation.”
