Peshmerga Commanders Call on Baghdad to Schedule Hawija Operation


Commanders of Kurdistan Region Peshmerga forces call on Iraqi government to avoid further delaying the operation to liberate Hawija city in southern Kirkuk province from the Islamic State (IS).


Sheikh Jaafar Mustafa, a senior commander of Peshmerga forces, told BasNews that Hawija should no longer remain in the hands of the militants who are posing security threats to central Kirkuk, noting that there is a need to hold talks with Baghdad to schedule the operation to liberate the city.


Mustafa further noted that there needs to be a close coordination between the US-led Coalition against IS and Iraqi and Peshmerga forces for the liberation of Hawija.


Speaking to BasNews, Jamal Murtka, another Peshmerga commander, said that Baghdad’s authorities are intending to violate the agreements and are avoiding negotiations, noting that their intentions behind delaying the Hawija operation is to show that IS is not eliminated yet.


Despite the complete liberation of Mosul, some countries believe that the independence referendum of Kurdistan Region will have an impact on the efforts to eliminate IS in the country, Murtka said.


He emphasized that an agreement should take place between Kurdistan Region and Baghdad over Hawija operation.








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