Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government has dissolved Unit 80 military forces, which will operate as First Region Command within the Peshmerga Ministry framework, Kurdistan24 reported on November 17.
Unit 80 was the main Peshmerga force affiliated with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. It is one of the largest and most prominent units within the Peshmerga, historically operating under the direct control of the KDP rather than the unified Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs.
A source from the Kurdistan Regional Government's Peshmerga Ministry said a regional decree has been issued to dissolve Unit 80 forces, which will be integrated into the ministry under the new command structure.
The source, who requested anonymity, said First Region Command will comprise six joint brigades of Peshmerga forces, with the decision to be implemented soon.
The dissolution forms part of the ninth cabinet's reform programme aimed at reorganising the Peshmerga Ministry and unifying Peshmerga forces under a single command structure.
The source said officials are scheduled to meet with a US military delegation on November 18 to discuss coordination and logistical support for Peshmerga forces.
Unit 80 represented one of the separate military formations that operated in Iraqi Kurdistan outside the formal Peshmerga Ministry structure. The integration marks a step in the regional government's efforts to consolidate military forces under unified command as part of broader defence sector reforms.
The Iraqi government in Baghdad has historically been wary of the powerful, party-controlled units like Unit 80 (KDP) and Unit 70 (PUK) within the Peshmerga forces, viewing their autonomy and partisan allegiances as an obstacle to central authority and national security.
Baghdad has long advocated for the integration of these units under the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs (MoPA) as part of a broader effort to unify, centralise, and depoliticise the Kurdish military, making it more accountable to Baghdad and less susceptible to influence by regional parties.
Turkey historically generally viewed strong, unified Kurdish-populated military forces, such as the KDP's Unit 80, as a potential threat to its national security, especially due to concerns about Kurdish separatism and the influence of Kurdish political and military organisations in Iraq and Syria.
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