Islam Times - KRG forces prevent Baghdad troops from reaching Syrian border

Islam Times - The Kurdish Peshmerga forces in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) have prevented the Baghdad government troops from reaching a disputed border region with Syria.

On Wednesday, soldiers from the 10th Iraqi Army division, who were dispatched from the Syrian border area of Rabiyah, were prevented from going to the disputed northern border area of Zimar by the Peshmerga 8th brigade, a top official in the Kurdish ministry responsible for the local Peshmerga security forces was reported as saying.

The official said the Iraqi troops had been sent to guard the Fishkhabur border crossing with Syria, which is located in Zimar area.

The border area is now secure due to the presence of the Peshmerga forces and border police there, the Kurdish official added.

The Peshmerga has been controlling Zimar since 1992, but its ownership is disputed between the KRG and the central government in Baghdad.

Relations between the Iraqi government and the Kurdish authorities are at a low ebb.