Peshmerga to participate in Mosul liberation as "support forces"

Kurdish Peshmerga forces will participate in any Mosul operation against Islamic State (IS) militants as backup forces, to limit casualties.

A Peshmerga source revealed to BasNews that should Peshmerga forces take part in an operation to free Mosul, they will serve behind the Iraqi army and Shiite militia groups, as support.

“Freeing Mosul is as important for the Kurdistan Region as it is for Iraq. Kurdistan does not want a terrorist organization as a neighbour, presenting a constant threat to the region. Therefore the Peshmerga will participate in a Mosul operation,” said the source.

Kurdish political analyst and former MP in Baghdad Moayad Tayib told BasNews that any Peshmerga participation would be at the rear of the clashes.

“Mosul’s liberation is almost more important for the Kurdistan Region than the rest of Iraq, because it is unconscionable for the region to have a terrorist organisation as a neighbour,” added Tayib.

IS took control of Mosul in June 2014, when the Iraqi army failed to defend the city, leading to the organisation’s eventual expansion to parts of other provinces of Iraq including Nineveh, Salahadin and Diyala.