PHOTOS: Peshmerga forces celebrate Eid on the front line
The autonomous Kurdistan Region is often praised as a beacon of stability in an otherwise unpredictable Middle East. Many nations have highlighted religious freedom in the Kurdish region and its tolerance of different cultures and values.
Read More: Religious Coexistence: Components of various faiths in Kurdistan express Eid wishes
Another Peshmerga officer, Hawar Ismael, called upon the political parties to represent the Kurdistan Region with “unity and strength” as the troops continue to protect Kurdistan from external threats.
The Peshmerga were one of the most efficient ground troops in defeating the so-called Islamic State. When the terror group emerged in 2014, and the Iraqi army collapsed, Peshmerga forces, with support from the US-led coalition, contained and pushed back the Islamic State’s threat in the north of the country.
About 2,000 Peshmerga have fallen while fighting the militant group and over 10,000 more were wounded, according to statistics from the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Peshmerga Ministry.
Editing by Karzan Sulaivany
(Additional reporting by Hoshman Sadiq)