Lazgin said in a statement that the development was reflective of the recent progress made by Baghdad and Erbil to cooperate in the fight against the militant group, which he said has increased its operations in Kirkuk, Khanaqin, Diyala, Saladin, Anbar, and western Nineveh.

According to NRT he added that they are currently working out how to arm, equip, and pay the units.

In recent months, officials in both Erbil and Baghdad have expressed concern about the security vacuum in the disputed areas, a belt of territory stretching from Nineveh through Kirkuk to Diyala claimed by both Erbil and Baghdad, which allows ISIS militants to stage attacks against both civilian and military targets.

On June 2, four joint operations rooms between the Iraqi Army and Peshmerga began work in Kirkuk, Khanaqin, Nineveh’s Shela, and Makhmour respectively.

In December, 2017, federal security forces, in cooperation with the Peshmerga and the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and aided by Coalition airstrikes, declared victory over ISIS. Since then, the militant group has resorted to guerrilla hit-and-run tactics, but remains a potent threat in some parts of the country.

Reporter's code: 50101