Kurdistan senior leaders on Sunday offered condolences to the families of three securrity forces that died in an improvised explosive device attack on a convoy carrying officers from peshmerga and Iraqi Army forces near Tuz Khurmatu during a joint security operation.

“I extend my heartfelt condolences and deepest sympathy to the families and loved ones of Colonel Ruqen Saman Saber Suleiman, Commander of the 1st Battalion of the United Peshmerga Brigade; Colonel Mohammed Reza Karim, Logistics Officer of the 9th Armored Division of the Iraqi Army; and Sergeant Sharif Ahmed Mohammed Amin, who were tragically martyred today in the Khurmatu district,” Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said in a statement.

“Moreover, I emphasize the importance of strengthening cooperation and coordination between the peshmerga forces and the Iraqi Army to confront security threats and challenges, and to ensure peace and stability in the Kurdish areas outside the administration of the Kurdistan Region.”

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani also extended his “deepest condolences and heartfelt sympathy to the families and relatives of today’s martyrs in the terrorist attack in the Khurmatu district.

“We stand in solidarity with them, and we wish a swift recovery for the injured.

“This heinous terrorist act serves as a stark reminder that terrorism continues to pose a direct threat to the peace and stability of Iraq, the Kurdistan Region, and the broader region, endangering the lives and property of citizens, particularly in areas covered by Article 140.”

Article 140 requires the Iraqi government to address the status of Kirkuk and other disputed territories through a process of normalization, a census, and a referendum to determine whether the population wishes to join the Kurdistan Region or remain part of federal Iraq. Until now, consecutive Iraqi governments have failed to implement the article.

“We reaffirm the importance of maintaining and enhancing coordination and collaboration between peshmerga forces, the Iraqi Army, and allied forces to confront and eliminate terrorism,” President Barzani concluded.

A security vacuum was created in areas disputed between Baghdad and Erbil in October 2017 after Iraqi forces and the Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces pushed peshmerga forces out of the disputed territories after the Kurdistan Region’s September 2017 independence referendum.

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This vacuum has been exploited by ISIS militants, who use the area as a safe haven and a base from which to stage attacks. As a result, the Iraqi Army and peshmerga forces have been working toward creating joint brigades in these areas to close security gaps. They have also carried out joint operations in the disputed territories. 

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Kurdish officials have repeatedly warned local and international actors about the continuing threat of ISIS.