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The IMK-Peshmerga was the military branch of the Kurdistan Islamic Movement (IMK) from the foundation of the IMK in 1987 until its disarmament in 2003. The IMK-Peshmerga was an official branch of the Peshmerga.

History

Osman Abdulaziz returned from exile in Iran in 1987 and founded the IMK, which had political and military branches. The IMK stronghold was Halabja for both political support and militant activity. The IMK-Peshmerga fought against Saddam Hussain alongside other Kurdish groups towards the end of the Iran-Iraq war. The IMK-Peshmerga was a part of the Peshmerga, alongside the KDP-Peshmerga and PUK-Peshmerga. After the Halabja chemical attack, Osman Abdulaziz declared a jihad against Saddam Hussein, which increased the intensity of the IMK-Peshmerga uprising. The IMK-Peshmerga largely halted its operations until the 1991 Iraqi uprisings, when Osman Abdulaziz declared a second jihad against Saddam Hussein, which rapidly increased the popularity and strength of the IMK-Peshmerga.

After the liberation of Iraqi Kurdistan, the Kurdistan Regional Government was formed as the governing body of the Kurdistan Region, and the Peshmerga became its official armed forces. The IMK was not included in the KRG parliament. Despite being a part of the Peshmerga when it was an guerrilla organization, the IMK-Peshmerga was not a part of the new Peshmerga which became an official armed force. The IMK continued to control Halabja governorate. In 1992, the IMK-Peshmerga began infiltrating PUK territory, and the PUK-Peshmerga captured Halabja in December 1993. PUK-Peshmerga captured Osman Abdulaziz and forced the majority of IMK members into exile in Iran. In 1994, the Iraqi Kurdish Civil War had began, mainly between the KDP and PUK. In 1996, the PUK returned Halabja governorate to the IMK. This began the Islamic Emirate of Kurdistan, which was a part of the Kurdistan Region, although it was ruled by Sharia and was not governed by the Kurdistan Regional Government. The Islamic Emirate had its own Shura, law enforcement, schools, and military, which was the IMK-Peshmerga. Its status was that of an autonomous region within an autonomous region. In 1997, the IMK and PUK agreed to a truce, in which the IMK officially joined the Kurdistan Regional Government in 1998 and was allowed to partake in elections, with the IMK-Peshmerga becoming a part of the Peshmerga. The IMK began receiving funds from Saudi Arabia and the United States. Many IMK-Peshmerga renounced their allegiance to the IMK and formed new groups. The groups included the Islamic Resistance Movement led by Hassan Sofi, who was assassinated by the IMK-Peshmerga in 1998. The Second Soran Unit, which was the most powerful unit of the IMK-Peshmerga, under the command of Aso Hawleri, broke away from the IMK-Peshmerga and became a separate unit. Other groups included the Tawhid Islamic Front led by Abu Bakr Hawleri, Islah led by Mullah Krekar and the KJG led by Ali Bapir. The new groups took control of the Islamic Emirate of Kurdistan. Despite the IMK-Peshmerga being an official government Peshmerga wing, the United States pressured the KRG to formally disband the IMK-Peshmerga after Operation Viking Hammer, which polarised Kurdish Islamists. Afterwards, the IMK was presented as a strictly political organisation. Mullah Krekar was the general commander of the IMK-Peshmerga from the 1991 Iraqi uprisings until 2001 when he left to form Islah.

References

1. Van Wilgenburg, Vladimir. "Syria war brings al-Qaeda threat to Iraqi Kurdistan." Al-Monitor, 14 December 2013. Web. 27 July 2015.; "Profile: Kurdish Islamist movement." BBC News, 13 Jan. 2003. Web. 27 July 2015.; Van Wilgenburg, Vladimir. "Islamic State Threatens Kurdish Clerics." Medium, 8 Feb. 2015. Web. 28 July 2015.
2. <ref>https://www.basknet.net/news/بزووتنه%E2%80%8Cوه%E2%80%8Cی-ئیسلامی/2024/10228/
3. Kakei, Saed. "The Islamic Movement of Kurdistan: From conflict to cooperation." EKurd Daily, 25 March 2013. Web. 28 July 2015.; Romano, David. "An Outline of Kurdish Islamist Groups in Iraq." The Jamestown Foundation, September 2007. Web. 27 July 2015.
4. Romano, David. "An Outline of Kurdish Islamist Groups in Iraq." The Jamestown Foundation, September 2007. Web. 27 July 2015.
5. Naylor, Hugh. "Iraq's Islamist Kurds under fire from both sides of the war." 22 Sept. 2014. Web. 28 July 2015.; Romano, David. "An Outline of Kurdish Islamist Groups in Iraq." The Jamestown Foundation, September 2007. Web. 27 July 2015.; "Iraq: Human Rights Abuses In Iraqi Kurdistan Since 1991." New York: Amnesty International USA, 1995: 98-130
6. "Iraqi Report: June 11, 2004." Radio Free Europe 7(21), 11 June 2004. Web. 28 July 22015.; Naylor, Hugh. "Iraq's Islamist Kurds under fire from both sides of the war." 22 Sept. 2014. Web. 28 July 2015.; "Iraq: Human Rights Abuses In Iraqi Kurdistan Since 1991." New York: Amnesty International USA, 1995: 20; "Prominent Iraqi Islamic Groups." Islamopedia, Date unknown. Web. July 28 2015.; c.f. Kakei, Saed. "The Islamic Movement of Kurdistan: From conflict to cooperation." EKurd Daily, 25 March 2013. Web. 28 July 2015.
7. Romano, David. "An Outline of Kurdish Islamist Groups in Iraq." The Jamestown Foundation, September 2007, pg. 9-10.
8. Romano, David. "An Outline of Kurdish Islamist Groups in Iraq." The Jamestown Foundation, September 2007. Web. 27 July 2015.
9. 16 "Iraqi Report: June 11, 2004." Radio Free Europe 7(21), 11 June 2004. Web. 28 July 22015.; Romano, David. "An Outline of Kurdish Islamist Groups in Iraq." The Jamestown Foundation, September 2007. Web. 27 July 2015.; "Profile: Kurdish Islamist movement." BBC News, 13 Jan. 2003. Web. 27 July 2015.
10. Van Wilgenburg, Vladimir. "Islamic State Threatens Kurdish Clerics." Medium, 8 Feb. 2015. Web. 28 July 2015
11. ”Mullah Krekar”, Society for Recognition of Famous People, Date unknown. Web. 27 July 2015; Romano, David. "An Outline of Kurdish Islamist Groups in Iraq." The Jamestown Foundation, September 2007. Web. 27 July 2015.

• Kurdish Islamism
• Peshmerga