Shafaq News- Erbil

German military advisers concluded their mission in the Kurdistan Region after years of supporting efforts against ISIS.

During a ceremony at Camp Stephan at Erbil International Airport on Tuesday, the Peshmerga and the Kurdistan Region’s government thanked the German military advisers and the German government for providing assistance that helped strengthen the Peshmerga and develop their military infrastructure.

In July, the German news magazine Der Spiegel quoted a German army officer as saying Germany would pull its personnel from a field base near Erbil International Airport by the end of September, citing the loss of US air defense cover as Washington reduces its military presence in the Kurdistan Region.

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The base, which also houses forces from the US-led coalition, has come under repeated attack in recent months. The attacks did not target the German contingent, but its soldiers spent "many nights in protective bunkers" because of their proximity to US troops, the magazine reported, adding that American air defenses intercepted most of the incoming missiles and drones.

Germany has kept troops in Erbil since 2015, training and advising the Peshmerga, the armed forces of the Kurdistan Region, as part of Berlin's contribution to the coalition against ISIS. Around thirty German soldiers were recently stationed there.

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