Kamal said that they had discussed a plan with the Iraqi Army to establish centers in Diyala, Kirkuk, Makhmour, and Mosul.

Islamic State (ISIS) militants have used the territory between the lines defended by the Peshmerga and the Iraqi Security Forces to hide and launch attacks against military and civilian targets. Erbil and Baghdad have called for increased coordination to combat the group and the establishment of the centers represents a tangible step towards doing so.

A formal announcement is expected in the coming days.

“We also discussed creating joint forces in the areas, but we have not talked about how much our forces will go to the Iraq’s central regions,” Kamal said.

“Everything the media says concerning that is not true,” he added, referring to rumors that the Peshmerga will return to Kirkuk governorate. On Monday, Iraqi Armed Forces Command Spokesperson Major General Yahia Rasool similarly dismissed the rumors, according to NRT.

Last week, a delegation from the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs met with the Iraqi Ministry of Defense in Baghdad about the disputed areas and the two are expected to meet again in Erbil next week.

Reporter’s code: 50101