The German military advisory mission supporting Peshmerga forces in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region has ended with a ceremony at Camp Stephan at Erbil International Airport.
Senior officials from Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, representatives of coalition countries and military commanders attended the ceremony.
Support for the Peshmerga
The Peshmerga Ministry announced that Germany’s mission had concluded after providing long-term military support as part of the fight against ISIS in Iraq and Iraq’s Kurdistan Region.
The ministry praised the contribution of the German military team to Peshmerga forces, particularly in operations against ISIS. In addition to military and medical assistance, Germany also provided logistical and advisory support to the Peshmerga forces.
This assistance helped increase the capacity of the Peshmerga forces and develop their military infrastructure.
A mission continuing since 2014
Berlin has supported Peshmerga forces in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region since 2014, when the fight against ISIS intensified. During this period, Germany provided military equipment and sent troops to Erbil to train local forces.
The German parliament approved the mission to train Peshmerga forces in January 2015.
Coalition military presence moves toward an end
The end of the German mission came as the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq entered the second and final phase of its withdrawal aimed at ending its military mission.
Baghdad and Washington agreed in 2024 on a two-phase plan to end the coalition’s military mission. The remaining coalition mission linked to operations against ISIS in Syria is planned to conclude by the end of September.
Iraqi officials announced that the foreign military presence under the coalition would end by September 30. The officials described the date as definitive and said the withdrawal would mark the transition to Iraqi forces assuming full responsibility for the country’s security.
Military cooperation with coalition countries is expected to continue in the future under bilateral arrangements. In recent days, Iraqi authorities held talks with German officials on completing the coalition’s withdrawal and developing future bilateral military and security cooperation.
A new phase in the fight against ISIS
The U.S.-led coalition was formed after ISIS seized large areas of Iraq and Syria in 2014. Iraq declared victory over the group in 2017, but ISIS remnants in the country continue to carry out occasional attacks.
