KRG thanks Coalition partners as anti-ISIS military mission ends
Shafaq News- Erbil
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) expressed gratitude on Wednesday to the countries and international partners who contributed to the campaign against ISIS, coinciding with the conclusion of the Global Coalition's military mission in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI).
In a statement, the Department of Foreign Relations of the KRG said Coalition personnel have worked alongside Iraqi security forces and Peshmerga forces since 2014, providing combat support, training, advisory assistance, intelligence, equipment, and logistical backing, the department noted in its statement. This joint effort, it added, helped protect the Kurdistan Region, liberate its communities, and achieve the battlefield defeat of ISIS.
Paying special tribute to all those who lost their lives or were wounded during the mission, the statement affirmed that “their courage and service will remain a source of appreciation and respect, and that their sacrifices will not be forgotten."
Wrapping up the Coalition's mission required full cooperation and coordination between the KRG and the Iraqi federal government, the department noted, adding that both sides remain committed to joint efforts to prevent the resurgence of ISIS and to confront any threat to the security and stability of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.
The department stressed that ending the military mission marks a transition to a new phase rather than the conclusion of the partnerships built over the past twelve years, noting that the KRG “looks forward to continued security and military cooperation through appropriate bilateral and multilateral frameworks.”
Earlier in the day, US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that it completed the withdrawal of US forces and equipment from Erbil Air Base in Iraq's Kurdistan Region, ending the Operation Inherent Resolve* mission in Iraq.
*Operation Inherent Resolve is the US-led military campaign against ISIS, and its command, the CJTF-OIR, has advised, assisted, and enabled forces fighting the group in Iraq since CENTCOM established it in 2014.
