Biryar’s tragic story quickly dominated Kurdish social media platforms, with people extending their condolences to the family.
The local administration of Garmian, a disputed region between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the federal government of Iraq, decided to name a school in the area after Biryar.
Since the emergence of the Islamic State in 2014, around 2,000 Peshmerga fighters have fallen while fighting the terrorist group, and over 10,000 more have been injured, according to the Kurdistan Region’s Peshmerga Ministry.
Iraq declared military victory over the Islamic State in late 2017. However, senior Kurdish and Iraqi officials continuously warn of a resurgence as the group continues to carry out insurgency attacks, ambushes, and kidnapping in the country.
Editing by Nadia Riva