Iraqi Gov’t Confirms Kurdish Forces’ Withdrawal from Lands Retaken From ISIS

According to a report covered by Tabnak, the Iraqi government’s agreement with Kurdistan over the withdrawal of Kurdish Peshmerga forces from the regions recaptured from the ISIS militants remains unchanged, a statement from the Prime Minister Haider Abadi’s office revealed on Thursday.

“We would like to emphasize that the agreement between the federal government and KRG [Kurdistan Regional Government] regarding the liberation of Nineveh is steady and unchanged, according to which the Peshmarga is fighting side by side with the federal military forces to drive ISIS terrorism out of Nineveh.”

“We point out that this agreement includes an explicit clause stating that Peshmarga withdraws to their previous stations soon after the liberation of Nineveh,” the statement said.

Abadi’s office added that the affiliation of the disputed areas was bound by the constitution.

On Wednesday, during a visit to Peshmerga forces, Kurdistan’s President Masoud Barzani declared that Kurdish forces would stay in the territories that were reclaimed from the ISIS, under an arrangement with the United States and the Iraqi government.

On October 17, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi launched the operation to retake the city. The operation began with 4,000 Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and 30,000 Iraqi soldiers backed by the US-led anti-terror coalition, Sputnik reported.