Regional Government Kurdistan Regional Government has officially asked
the United States for armed assistance as it steps up the fight against
terrorists of the ISIL who have declared their own state in conquered
territories in Iraq and Syria.
Falah Mustafa, head of foreign relations,
said in a press statement that the US missions in Baghdad and Erbil had
taken the Kurdish appeal “seriously” and “promised to intently look into
the case.”
“We told the US representatives that the time
for action has come and that the US should change its Kurdish policy
from showing gratitude to showing us direct support,” Mustafa added.
His comments came as the Kurdish Peshmirga
forces, that have been a bulwark against the IS advancing into Iraq’s
Kurdish-populated areas, reported receiving advanced heavy weapons and
said they were ready to go on the offensive against the terrorists.
In Washington, the State Department said the
US had joint operations centers in Erbil and Baghdad which were helping
the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) and Kurdish Peshmirga commanders by
sharing intelligence information.
ISIL terrorists launched a massive attack on
Kurdish-controlled areas on Sunday morning, capturing the important oil
cities of Shengal and Zumar, 50 kilometers from the Syrian-Kurdish
border. Heavy losses were reported on both sides.
Kurdish military officials say the Peshmirga
fighters will urgently need heavy weaponry and ammunition in order to go
ahead with an offensive against the ISIL terrorists.
“We told the Americans that this is a war against terror and we could not possibly go to this war all alone,” Mustafa said.
“Christians and the Yazidis must be
protected. We do not wish to face this war alone. The international
community must act and the US should take its responsibility. We need
advanced weapons and ammunition to fight the terrorists,” he added.
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