Erbil, Kurdistan, Iraq (KRG.org) – Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani has issued a statement reassuring the people of Kurdistan that Peshmerga forces are advancing and will defeat the terrorists, and that the people should not panic.

The full text of the Prime Minister’s statement:

A message to the people of Kurdistan

We reassure the beloved and resilient people of Kurdistan that our Peshmerga are advancing on the Sinjar front and have defeated the terrorist forces of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) in Makhmour and Jalawla. The Kurdistan Regional Government, with its faith in Kurdistan’s Peshmerga forces, promises the people of Kurdistan that it will not allow terrorists to defile the sacred land of Kurdistan nor hinder the continuation of life in Kurdistan.

We urge the people not to panic and to remain calm in their places and continue their normal work and life. We promise the people of Kurdistan to strike the terrorists with an iron fist. We will abolish the threat facing Kurdistan and the region. We must all have faith in the Peshmerga and support them.

We ask the people and the youth of Kurdistan to keep their spirits high. We should all believe in our legitimate cause. We are now defending the sacred land of Kurdistan against an invading terrorist force. That requires the highest morale, especially as the terrorists are suffering defeat due to pressure from Peshmerga forces. Therefore, we ask the people of Kurdistan to keep up their spirits and remain calm.

Nechirvan Barzani
Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government
6 August 2014