Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Thursday welcomed the decision of the German government and parliament to extend the mandate of German troops serving in Iraq.

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“ISIS remains a serious threat to Iraq and regional security and stability. I highly value the presence and contributions of our international coalition partners in the ongoing fight against terror,” he underlined in a post on X.

German newspaper Welt reported that the German parliament had extended the German army mission until January 31, 2026, with an absolute majority. As a result, Germany will continue to deploy 500 soldiers to Iraq.

Germany has supported the peshmerga in the fight against ISIS by providing training and equipment since 2014. 

In 2014, then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel decided to supply Kurdish peshmerga forces with G-36 rifles and MILAN anti-tank missiles, which were effective in stopping ISIS armored vehicles.

Read More: Peshmerga Forces Strengthened with German Military Aid

On August 14, 2024, the then-Commander of the German Armed Forces in Erbil Colonel Lars Persikowski warned that the fight against ISIS was not over yet.

“The ideology is still alive. ISIS must be prevented from regaining the ability to endanger peace in this region. Therefore, the German Armed Forces – as part of the U.S.-led coalition – continue to support the Kurdistan Regional Government by enhancing the capabilities of the Kurdish armed forces under the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs.”