ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The long-awaited unification of the Kurdistan Region’s Peshmerga forces has entered its final phase and is expected to be completed by the end of the year, an advisor to the Region’s presidency and former chief of staff of Iraq’s Army, Babakir Zebari, told Rudaw on Tuesday. Efforts are now focused on forming the last of the 11 planned brigades, with ten already established.
“We are working on force unification and brigade formation,” Zebari said, adding, “So far, ten brigades have been formed. We are now on the final one, and the process will be completed this year. All forces will be unified,” he stressed.
This milestone represents a major step toward consolidating all Peshmerga units under the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs. The effort includes integrating the powerful Unit 70 and Unit 80 forces - affiliated with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), respectively - into a single chain of command. These two units together comprise the majority of the Peshmerga forces, totaling over 100,000 troops.
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has pursued the unification of its military forces for years, aiming to establish a professional, depoliticized national force free from partisan control.
The initiative has received consistent backing from international allies, particularly the United States and the US-led Global Coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS).
In January, Abdulkhaliq Babiri, undersecretary of the Peshmerga ministry, told Rudaw that support from the coalition - including logistical, equipment, and financial aid - is ongoing. Washington has pledged to continue its support through 2026.
Despite steady international support, the unification process has faced numerous setbacks. Between 2010 and 2013, approximately 42,000 Peshmerga from Unit 70 and Unit 80 were merged, and 14 brigades were formed. However, progress was stalled by internal political tensions and the outbreak of war against ISIS in 2014.
A renewed push came in 2018 with the announcement of a 35-point reform plan for unification, developed in collaboration with international partners.
More recently, in December, the Peshmerga ministry revealed plans to establish two operations command centers overseeing the 11 brigades. This effort aims to improve command and control, standardize training, and enhance operational effectiveness.
Additionally, an initiative to digitize health data for Peshmerga forces, funded by the US-based Spirit of America NGO, was launched in late April, as part of the broader efforts to professionalize and depoliticize the forces.
