ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdish Peshmerga are not involved in the ongoing regional conflict, the Peshmerga ministry affirmed, categorically rejecting claims that it targeted positions of the Iran-aligned Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in central Iraq.
In a statement late Saturday, the ministry - equivalent to a defense ministry in the Kurdistan Region - said that “some media channels and [social media] pages today circulated false news claiming that Peshmerga forces were involved in an attack on a Popular Mobilization Forces [PMF] base in Salahaddin province.
“We strongly reject all these rumors and reports,” the ministry said, emphasizing that “the Peshmerga forces are in no way part of the ongoing tensions or military conflicts in the region and have not participated in any military action against any party.”
The statement added that “the main mission of the Peshmerga is to protect security and stability,” asserting that “we remain committed to coordination and joint work with the Iraqi security forces.”
Of note, the Peshmerga serve as a semi-autonomous layer of Iraq’s national defense, coordinating with federal security forces through joint coordination centers and specialized joint brigades that address the security gap in disputed territories like Kirkuk.
The Peshmerga ministry issued its firm remarks on Saturday following media reports that the Kurdish forces had allegedly carried out a drone attack on the PMF in Tuz Khurmatu, northeast of Salahaddin, reportedly in response to attacks on the Kurdistan Region by Iran-backed militias over the past two weeks.