The German armed forces are concluding their field camp in the northern Iraqi city of Erbil, with the withdrawal scheduled to be completed by the end of September. According to reporting by Der Spiegel, the Ministry of Defence informed the Bundestag of this decision last Friday morning. The move is necessitated by the United States pulling back from the multinational camp in Erbil, which would subsequently mean the absence of protective measures, such as US air defense systems, for the German field camp.
The international camp, located on the outskirts of the airport in northern Erbil, had been a repeated target of retaliatory strikes since the start of the US-Israel military actions against Iran in the spring. Although the Iranian missiles and drone attacks were not aimed directly at the Bundeswehr, the German troops were frequently forced into protective bunkers due to the camp’s proximity within the multinational setup.
In the coming weeks, the German camp will be completely closed. Currently, only about 30 German soldiers remain stationed in Erbil due to the persistently volatile security situation over the past months.
This decision marks the end of a long-standing mission for the Bundeswehr. The German government had initially decided in 2015 to send German trainers to northern Iraq in response to the advance of the “Islamic State” terrorist militia. Their goal was to strengthen the Kurdish Peshmerga forces. Germany also supported the Peshmerga at that time through weapons deliveries to repel the encroaching IS troops. In the years that followed, the Bundeswehr continued consulting with the Peshmerga alongside other partners and participated in an international anti-terror mission.
Despite the closure of the field camp, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) intends to continue providing consultation services to the Peshmerga. A small contingent of German military advisors will therefore remain in Erbil even after the end of September. Instead of being stationed at the airport field camp as before, these soldiers will be located at the German Consulate in the city.
