SULAIMANI (ESTA) — The U.S.-led Coalition forces said it had facilitated a meeting between the Iraqi and Peshmerga officials in Erbil, calling it an “extremely productive”.
Officials from the Peshmerga ministry and Iraqi defense ministry held a meeting attended by military officials from the Coalition forces in Erbil on Thursday.
The officials including Peshmerga chief of staff Staff Lt. Gen. Jamal Mohammed and deputy commander of the Joint Operations Command for Iraq Staff Gen. Abdulamir Al-Shammari discussed the work of joint coordination centers as well as the establishment of two joint brigades.
In a statement sent to Esta Media Network on Friday, the Coalition forces said the officials discussed cooperation between the Iraqi and Kurdish forces so as to prevent the resurgence of Islamic State (ISIS) militants.
It added that the Coalition’s Military Advisor Group provided a “secure location” for the Iraqi and Kurdish officials to share ideas and discuss the challenges of securing disputed territories of the Kurdish coordination line.
“We are more than happy playing a small part in getting these senior leaders who are going to drive this initiative forward into one room,” Director of the Military Advisor Group Brig. Gen. Fogarty said.
“The discussions regarding the Joint Brigades is an initiative that has been worked on for some time in light of some of the recent activity and attacks around the Kurdistan Coordination Line. Both sides saw it as very important to sit down and try to work through some of the issues they have agreed on previously,” Fogarty added.
Despite its defeat, ISIS remnants have increased attacks against civilians and the security forces in the disputed territories claimed by both Baghdad and Erbil.
To prevent the continued attacks, the Iraqi military and Peshmerga established four joint coordination rooms in Khanaqin, Makhmour, Kirkuk and Nineveh.
The U.S.-led Coalition said the cooperation between the Iraqi and Peshmerga forces would reduce the threat of ISIS resurgence.
It added that the militants primarily infiltrated from the mountainous region along the Kurdistan coordination line (KCL).
According to the Coalition forces, the area historically has been difficult to secure.
“The meeting was extremely productive,” said Fogarty.
“What was discussed in the room was how to strengthen the newly formed Joint Coordination Centers, information sharing and better coordination of security effects on both sides of the KCL,” he added.
“Both sides are now considering what was discussed and will come back together later to look what the future of those brigades are.”
He further said helping Iraq and the Kurdistan Region in continuous improvements including planning meetings and partnership building is central to the Coalition’s mission.
“It was great to see the key leaders from the ISF and the KSF come together under the spirit of collaboration and discussing these issues which are all about having a more coordinated and a more robust response to defeat Da’esh,” he stated.
“The outcomes in the room and the discussions were aligned with that joint goal of trying to maintain the continued defeat of Da’esh and to provide better security for the people of the Kurdish Region of Iraq and of federal Iraq.”
