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Iraqi, Peshmerga Forces to Step Up Anti-IS Joint Effort

Sirwan Kajjo

   WASHINGTON - Iraqi military and Kurdish Peshmerga forces will increase
   their cooperation in the fight against Islamic State, an Iraqi military
   official said.

   Yahya Rasool, spokesman for the Iraqi military, said Sunday that joint
   efforts are under way to ensure the security of Iraq's border with
   Syria, as IS militants continue to exploit the instability in both
   countries to launch attacks on Iraqi territory.

   "The Peshmerga forces are part of the Iraqi national defense system,
   and now there is joint coordination between the federal forces and the
   Peshmerga to protect those areas that lie between their lines of
   presence," Rasool said in a statement to the Iraqi News Agency.

   "It is very important during the next phase to coordinate with the
   Peshmerga forces in order to carry out joint operations within these
   areas, as well as sharing intelligence," he added.

   The Iraqi official noted that there is a new understanding between the
   two sides to establish coordination centers for their anti-IS campaign.

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