The two joint brigades of the Iraqi army and the Peshmerga will begin their duties next week

The representative of the Kurdistan Regional Government in the Joint Operations Command announced that the two brigades from the Peshmerga and the Iraqi army will begin their duties in the Kirkuk and Diyala governorates next week. Abdul Khaleq Talaat confirmed to Rudaw Media Network that plans have been completed and preparations have been completed this week, for the joint brigades to begin their duties in the security vacuum areas in Kirkuk and Diyala governorates. The Iraqi Army and the Ministry of Peshmerga reached an agreement in August 2011 to form two joint brigades and deploy them in areas of security gaps between their forces, which ISIS elements exploit to launch attacks on the security forces and the people of those areas. The representative of the Kurdistan Regional Government added: "The members of the two joint brigades have been receiving their salaries for two months and have completed three months of training." According to data from the Ministry of Peshmerga, there are 560 kilometers of security gaps between the Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi forces. Each brigade includes about 3,500 officers and soldiers. Source: National Iraqi News Agency