Shafaq News / A military official in the Peshmerga forces announced today opening the Joint Coordination Center with the Iraqi army in Khanaqin district.

 The assistant commander of the second axis of the Peshmerga (Hamrin - Qara Tapa), Major General Muhammad Rustom Muhammad, told Shafaq News agency, "The terms of the joint coordination agreement between the defense and the Peshmerga include four items. The first one stipulates opening joint coordination centers, while the second is to cover security gaps between the Iraqi army and the Peshmerga."

He added,  "the third item stipulates opening and setting up joint checkpoints between the two sides, while the fourth is to expand operations in the axes to comb out sections and chase ISIS outposts and dens, as well as an exchange security and intelligence information to combat terrorism."

"The agreement includes opening four joint coordination centers in Makhmour on the Erbil-Kirkuk-Tuz Khurmatu borders, east of Saladin, and Khanaqin in Diyala. Negotiations and discussions between the two sides are still ongoing to approve the three other items."

He pointed out, "The coordination center in Tuz Khurmatu will be limited to the presence of Peshmerga cells with the intelligence and army to coordinate security efforts to fight ISIS in the disputed areas."

 The withdrawal of the Peshmerga forces from the disputed or mixed areas of population in 2017 caused security gaps in the outskirts of Diyala, Kirkuk, Nineveh, and Saladin.

 Despite the security agreements between Baghdad and Erbil, the agreement has not been put into action due to political and national differences.