Erbil: German forces have ended their military mission in Iraq's Kurdish region after years of involvement in the international coalition against the terrorist group ISIS (Daesh), the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) Peshmerga Ministry said Wednesday.
According to Anadolu Agency, a ceremony was held at Stephan Camp at Erbil International Airport to mark the end of the German military advisers' mission, the ministry stated in a release carried by the Iraqi News Agency. The ceremony was attended by senior officials from Iraq's Kurdish region, representatives of coalition countries, and military commanders.
The ministry highlighted that the conclusion of the mission followed years of German military involvement in the fight against ISIS in Iraq and Iraq's Kurdish region. It commended the German military team's role in supporting Peshmerga forces, particularly during operations against ISIS. Germany also provided military and medical assistance, as well as logistical and advisory support, which helped develop the Peshmerga forces' capabilities and military infrastructure.
Germany has been supporting the Peshmerga forces in Iraq's Kurdish Region since the fight against ISIS intensified in 2014, providing military equipment and deploying troops to Erbil to train local forces. The German parliament approved the training mission in January 2015.
The end of the German mission comes as Iraq progresses toward completing the second and final phase of the drawdown of the US-led coalition. Baghdad and Washington agreed in 2024 on a two-phase plan to end the coalition's military mission, with the remaining coalition mission linked to operations against ISIS in Syria scheduled to conclude by the end of September.
Iraqi officials have reiterated that the remaining foreign military presence under the coalition will end by Sept. 30. They have described the deadline as final and stated that the withdrawal would mark a transition toward Iraqi forces assuming full responsibility for the country's security, with future military cooperation with coalition countries conducted through bilateral arrangements.
Iraqi authorities have also engaged in talks with German officials in recent days on completing the coalition withdrawal and developing future bilateral military and security cooperation. The US-led coalition was formed in 2014 after ISIS seized large areas of Iraq and Syria. Iraq declared victory over the terrorist group in 2017, though its remnants continue to carry out sporadic attacks.