Kurdish troops calls Baghdad for withdrawing PMF

The negotiations between Baghdad and Erbil on the management of border crossings and disputed areas, failed to achieve any notable progress after conflicting conditions of each of them, while the two sides are waiting for new rounds to resolve the situation, amid the lack of optimism any consensus between them.

However, the Peshmerga Ministry in the Kurdistan Regional Government on Monday meeting with the International Alliance against the organization urged the US leadership of the ongoing military negotiations between Erbil and Baghdad, stressing the need for withdrawal of Popular Mobilization Forces from the disputed areas.

The Iranian-backed Shia Hashd al-Shaabi militia does not respect any agreements made regarding lines of contact recognized by the Iraqi government forces, Peshmerga Ministry asserted on Tuesday.

“In the aftermath of the events in Kirkuk Province and the advance of the Hashd al-Shaabi and Iraqi forces in all the disputed territories, it is obvious these forces do not respect any of the lines of contact agreed upon by both sides. They continue their activities and deployment of their troops in those regions,” read a statement issued by the Peshmerga Ministry.

“The Popular Mobilization Forces' (PMF) ongoing activities and persisting advance, and its disrespect for pre-established boundaries is a clear indication that they have harmful intentions and wish to violate the honor of the Kurdistan people,” the statement continued.

“Hereby, we inform everyone that the behaviors of the PMF and Iraqi Forces are unacceptable at all. Peshmerga will continue to defend the soil of Kurdistan and the life and honor of the people.”

Both the PMF and Iraqi forces on Tuesday launched attacks on Peshmerga front lines near Rabia, northwest of Mosul and Makhmour, southwest of Erbil. Kurdish troops repelled both assaults.

Ties between Erbil and Baghdad have considerably deteriorated following the Sep. 25 referendum on independence. In response to the vote, Baghdad recently launched attacks on the oil-rich province and city of Kirkuk, as well as other disputed territories which have been under the protection of the Peshmerga since mid-2014.

The Kurdish Peshmerga and Security Forces have repeatedly condemned the PMF, along with the Iraqi Forces' use of US M1 Abrams tanks and other advanced military equipment - which were given to Baghdad to fight the Islamic State (IS) - in attacks on the people of the Kurdistan Region, notably in Kirkuk and in the town of Pirde, also known as Altun Kupri, south of Erbil.

In the same context, Sixty Kurdish fighters were killed in confrontations with Iraqi federal and the pro-government paramilitary troops, Kurdistan said. In a press conference aired on the Kurdish NRTTV on Sunday, Jabbar al-Yawar, secretary general of Peshmerga Ministry said that the recent confrontations left 60 fighters of Peshmerga killed and 150 others wounded.

Peshmerga, according to Yawar, seeks resolving conflicts between Baghdad and Erbil “through dialogue and constitution.” “We have to return back to talks to resolve all issues,” Yawar said. “The current issues are political not military ones.”

Meanwhile, Yawar expressed fears that military confrontations with Baghdad, in case of not reaching a political understanding. He added that Kurdistan made a proposal of seven issues for Baghdad to resolve those issues and are currently awaiting the response.

Yawar also called for jointly running the disputed regions with Iraqi troops. However, he said that Iraqi troops insist that they run those regions themselves. “Peshmerga has been working alongside Iraqi army for three years to defend both Iraq and Kurdistan,” he said.

On Saturday, Yawar said a new meeting will be held between two military delegations from Baghdad and Erbil. This came after Hadi al-Ameri, secretary-general of Badr Organization, ruled out on Friday possibilities that Iraqi federal troops attack the kurdish Peshmerga at the disputed regions in Nineveh and Kirkuk.

A meeting was held on Thursday between two delegations without reaching an outcome, a source told Alghad Press. The kurdish delegation was angry during the meeting, according to the source, without giving further details. Iraqi troops have been on high alerts in west of Mosul, after Erbil was declared to have stepped back from an agreement between with Baghdad.