The Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs (MoPA) on Thursday announced that the Italian army had trained units of the MoPA forces at the Duhok Infantry Center for several weeks.

The Peshmerga forces completed training on tactical planning, mortar operations, improvised explosive device awareness, sniper techniques, and urban warfare.

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Last year in November, the outgoing Ambassador of Italy to Iraq Maurizio Greganti spoke with Kurdistan Chronicle about the Italian army presence in Kurdistan. “We are proud of the work we’ve done, promoting training programs over the years.”

At the Duhok Infantry Training Center, under the supervision of the Italian Forces’ training team,courses which lasted for several weeks on Tactical Planning, Mortar, IED Awareness, Sniper, & Urban Warfare concluded.the attendees were Peshmerga's from different units of the MoPa pic.twitter.com/RxsRL55Iti

— Ministry of Peshmerga (@KRG_MOPE) September 18, 2025

Italy has also joined the Multinational Advisory Group (MNAG), which includes the UK, the United States, the Netherlands, France, and Germany, and supports the Peshmerga reform program.

“We are focused on the Italian army’s role under the umbrella of the anti-ISIS coalition, as well as in the NATO mission in Iraq and through other bilateral efforts. Their primary tasks involve training and supporting Iraqi forces and the Peshmerga, particularly in security sector reform,” Greganti said.

“For example, in Kurdistan, they are part of the MNAG, which assists the MoPA in reform efforts. This includes training, security sector reform with the Ministry of Defense and Interior in Baghdad, and other key initiatives.”

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In June, Italy’s Consul General Tommaso Sansone underlined that Italy is proud of the partnership with the Peshmerga forces in the war on terror in a speech during the Italy Day celebration in Erbil.

“Italian assets carry on the partnership with the Peshmerga, providing training and support as part of the coalition against ISIS. I would like to stress my deepest appreciation to all Italian military staff, including our Carabinieri, for their dedication and professionalism in their crucial mission in all governorates of the Kurdistan Region.”