In a significant development, the Iraqi army and the Kurdish Peshmerga forces have reached an agreement regarding the positions of both forces in the disputed Makhmour district near Erbil, following clashes that erupted last month. A senior Peshmerga commander announced this breakthrough on Thursday.

The clashes initially erupted late last month near the town of Makhmour in Erbil province, triggered by the withdrawal of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) from some military posts in the area. While the altercation was initially reported as a dispute over who should replace the PKK fighters in the region, Kurdish officials later attributed it to a "misunderstanding."

Sirwan Barzani, the commander of Peshmerga forces in Makhmour, revealed that senior delegations from both the Iraqi army and the Peshmerga met and successfully agreed on a solution to the dispute. These clashes resulted in the unfortunate loss of four troops, including a Kurdish brigade commander.

"We had a field visit and agreed on the exact positions to ensure better coordination for the safety of the area," Barzani stated.

In response to the clashes, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani ordered the formation of an investigation committee to probe the incident, although no results have been made public at this time.

The core of the disagreement lay in the Iraqi army's demand for control of three military posts in exchange for providing security for the Makhmour Camp. This camp houses thousands of Kurds who sought refuge from persecution by the Turkish state decades ago. Notably, the military posts abandoned by the PKK are located within the jurisdiction of the Peshmerga forces, as defined by a security agreement between the Peshmerga and the Iraqi army's Nineveh Joint Operations Command. Ghazi Faisal, the head of a unit of Peshmerga volunteers in Makhmour district, clarified this point during the incident.

The withdrawal of the PKK from the area was prompted by Turkey's repeated drone and airstrikes on the Makhmour refugee camp.

This agreement between the Iraqi army and the Kurdish Peshmerga holds the promise of resolving the recent tensions and ensuring stability in the Makhmour district, which is of great significance to the region.