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Zeravani

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Pêşmerge Zêrevanî
Kurdish: زێرەڤانی, Zêrevanî
Zêrevanî logo
Active1997–2006 (as Kurdish forces)[1]
2006–present (Kurdistan Regional Government)
Country Iraq
AllegianceGovernment
BranchPeshmerga
RoleGendarmerie
Size200,000 active
250,000 reservists[2][3]
Garrison/HQZaxo
Nickname(s)Zerêvanî
Engagements
Commanders
CommanderLieutenant General Ezîz Weysî Banî
Notable
commanders		Hana Peshang Miran
Zêrevanî Commando

The Zerevani[4] (Kurdish: زێرەڤانی, Zêrevanî, meaning "Guard" or "Guardian") (or Zeravani,[5] sometimes Zeravani Army[6]) are the militarized force (described as a gendarmerie by some[5]) operated by Kurdistan Regional Government.

Organization and Mission

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The Zêrevanî are under the operational control of the Kurdish Ministry of the Interior[1][7] but are a part of the Peshmerga (armed forces), and provide security for government and industrial property and support to civilian police & the military.[6][8] The first Commanding Chief of Zêrevanî was Faridun Jwanroyi, Fraydoon resigned in 2010 and Aziz Weysi Bani was assigned as the Major General of the Zêrevanî.[7]

The Zêrevanî were established in 1997 by the KDP in order to support the police and Asaysh forces; according to Major General Aziz Waisi, the Zêrevanî's role over the years expanded to also protect electricity stations and water resources,[1] as well as embassies, consulates, government offices and other sensitive targets.[9]

According to Stratfor, as of 2004 two Zêrevanî divisions (totaling 30,000 troops) were established in the Iraqi Federal Police.[10] In 2011, the Zêrevanî strength was of 47,000,[1] while as of 2017, Zêrevanî strength is of 51,000;[11][12] among these, there are several Christians of Kurdistan Region.[13]

Zêrevanî accepts recruits aged between 18 and 27. They need to provide an Iraqi national ID and food coupons, to be literate, to have a clean record and a recommendation in terms of moral and loyalty issues;[1] women are allowed to, and do, serve.[9]

Issues

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In June 2008, the Zêravanî were the subject of an Amnesty International campaign after the alleged kidnap of a Kurdish journalist.[8] According to Canadian website McLeans.ca, the Zêravanî are considered loyal to the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party;[7] according to Major General Aziz Waisi, all political activities are forbidden within the Zêravanî, although party membership is allowed.[1]

International training and operations

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In November 2009, the Zêrevanî began training conducted alongside the Iraqi Federal Police,[4] in order to conduct effective police work and counter-insurgency operations.[14] Since 2014, also the Zeravani have undergone training with the Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve. The Zêrevanî training is conducted primarily by the Italian Carabinieri,[14] but also by Canadian,[7] British, German, Dutch, Norwegian, Finnish and Hungarian forces.[14] As of 2016, the Zêrevanî were also trained by Italian Army[15]

A Zêrevanî division led by Colonel Abu Rish was fighting against ISIS near Mosul during summer 2015;[16] in 2016 the Zeravani, according to Colonel Abdularrahman Hassan, still occupied frontline positions around Mosul.[7]

Current equipment of the Pêşmerge

[edit]

Because Zêrevanî forces were low on equipment when they began training, the Peshmerga army donated some of their weapons to the Zêrevanî. The Kurdistan Regional Government set them up a base and allowed them to buy their own weapons. The Zeravani unlike the Peshmerga are equipped with modern American, Russian and French arms and weapons. While the Peshmerga often use old Soviet and American weapons from the 60s.[17]

  • Individual weapons
    • assault & sniper rifles
Weapon Name Picture Origin Number Note
M16  USA Unknown
M4A1  USA Unknown
AK-12  Russia Unknown
FAMAS G2  France Unknown
Barrett M82  USA Unknown
M-24 sniper rifle  USA Unknown
Dragunov SVU  Russia Unknown
Zastava M91  Yugoslavia Unknown
PSG-1  West Germany Unknown
  • Anti-tank explosive
Weapon Name Picture Note
RPG-7
RPG-29
AT4
9K111 Fagot
Panzerfaust 3
  • Vehicles
    • Main battle tanks
Vehicle Name Picture Origin Type Number Note
T-62  Soviet Union 116 116 tanks captured from Mosul in 2003.
T-54/T-55  Soviet Union 132 121 tanks captured from the Iraqi Army in

1991 and 27 tanks captured from the Iraqi Army in 2003. 8 tanks destroyed during the 1990s and 6 tanks destroyed in the fight against ISIS[18]

    • Military trucks & Pickup trucks
Vehicle Name Picture Note
GAZ-66
Humvee[19] Peshmerga forces currently have

3000+ Humvees.

Toyota Hilux
LMTV
Toyota Land Cruiser Pickup Known as "Mig Zamin" within the

Peshmerga Forces.

Nissan Titan
Defender-110[20]
    • Anti-aircraft guns
Name Picture Note
ZU-23-2 16 pieces captured

from Iraqi Army in 1991 and 5 were given by Russia in 2016.[21]

85 mm air defense

gun M1939 (52-K)

10 pieces inherited from the Republic of Kurdistan and

18 further pieces donated by the Soviet Union in 1961–62.

AZP S-60 12 pieces donated by the Soviet Union in 1957 and 1963,

18 pieces captured from Iraqi Army in 1991 and 24 pieces in 2003.

ZSU-23-4 21 pieces captured from Iraqi Army in 2003.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "Commander of the Zêrevanî Pêşmerge Forces, Maj. Gen. Aziz Waisi, sheds light on the role and future of Zeravani forces". Kurdish Globe. Free Online Library. June 25, 2011. Retrieved May 11, 2017.
  2. ^ Dortkardes, İhsan (July 20, 2007). "Barzani: Düzenli ordu yakında". Milliyet (in Kurdish). Retrieved June 6, 2008.
  3. ^ Willing to face Death: A History of Kurdish militia Forces – the Pêşmerge – from the Ottoman Empire to Present-Day Iraq Archived October 29, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, Michael G. Lortz
  4. ^ a b "Kurdish Zêrevanî and Arab Policemen Graduate Training and Break Down Barriers". NATO Training Mission-Iraq. December 11, 2009. Retrieved January 3, 2010.
  5. ^ a b "A hint of harmony, at last". The Economist. December 3, 2009. Retrieved January 3, 2010.
  6. ^ a b Khidhir, Qassim (February 27, 2007). "Zeravani Army is guardian of Kurdistan Region Capital". The Kurdish Globe. p. 16. Retrieved January 3, 2010.
  7. ^ a b c d e Khan, Adnan R. (May 5, 2016). "Inside the secret war in Iraq". Macleans.ca. Retrieved May 11, 2017.
  8. ^ a b "Document". Retrieved January 3, 2010.
  9. ^ a b "Le soldatesse italiane addestreranno le colleghe curde". Il Tempo (in Italian). May 30, 2016. Retrieved May 11, 2017.
  10. ^ "Special Series: Security in Iraq After the U.S. Withdrawal". Stratfor. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  11. ^ "Over 150,000 enlisted as Pêşmerge troops in Kurdistan Region, official data shows". Rudaw. April 3, 2017. Retrieved May 11, 2017.
  12. ^ Bussoletti, Francesco (April 3, 2017). "Iraq, Isis deve combattere contro un esercito di oltre 150.000 Peshmerga". Difesa e Sicurezza (in Italian). Retrieved May 11, 2017.
  13. ^ Lombardi, Daniela (December 15, 2016). "Croce e fucile, le armi dei cristiani iracheni contro il Daesh". Gli occhi della guerra (in Italian). Retrieved May 11, 2017.
  14. ^ a b c Giuliani, Eleonora; Ames, Justin (March 27, 2017). "Mosul Needs 35,000 Cops". War is Boring. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  15. ^ "Kurdistan iracheno: addestramento degli Zeravani". www.difesa.it (in Italian). January 22, 2016. Retrieved May 11, 2017.
  16. ^ "Cutting The Islamic State's Supply Lines: The Road To Mosul". VICE NewsGlobe. June 11, 2015. Archived from the original on May 15, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2016.
  17. ^ "Peshmerga forces train to counter IED threat". DVIDS. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  18. ^ Middle East Military Balance Archived August 24, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  19. ^ Holdanwicz, Grzegorz. "Iraqi armed forces get armoured vehicles". Jane's Defence Weekly
  20. ^ Shapir, Yiftah S., Middle East Military Balance, Tel Aviv University, 6, 7 Archived August 24, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  21. ^ "Russia supplied weapons to Iraqi Kurds: RIA". Yahoo News. March 16, 2016. Retrieved June 3, 2024.


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