Berlin Sure German Weapons Safe With Iraqi Kurds Despite Illegal Sales Reports

The German authorities are confident that the weapons they delivered to Iraqi Kurdistan for fight against terrorists are safe from being sold to third parties, a spokesman for the country's armed forces unit responsible for operations in Kosovo, Syria and Iraq told Sputnik on Thursday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The first deliveries of weapons to Iraqi Kurdistan with the stated purpose of fighting the Daesh terrorist group started in September 2014, but in January 2016 they were halted following a report by German broadcaster NDR that German weapons were being sold on the black market in Iraq's Erbil and other cities.

"Our partners in the Kurdish regional government made a declaration that they take care of the goods we delivered and we do not have any doubts that our Kurdish partners act different than in that declaration is stated," Maj. Robert Habermann said.

On August 16, a cargo plane Antonov An-124 brought about 70 metric tons of materiel by the Bundeswehr to Erbil. According to Bundeswehr's press release published on Wednesday, these shipments included 1,500 G36 rifles, a million rounds of ammunition, 100 Milan anti-tank missiles and three armored vehicles Dingo 1.

German media reported that, according to the Kurdish authorities' investigation, of the 28,000 weapons Germany had delivered to Iraqi Kurdistan's Peshmerga military force only 30 had been sold illegally or lost.

A spokesperson for the German Defense Ministry confirmed to Sputnik that new deliveries were being prepared.

"There will be more shipment but I can't tell you how many," the spokesperson said.

Habermann declined to comment whether Berlin was planning some new weaponry shipments to Iraqi Kurdistan, saying Bunderswehr did not announce things like that in advance.

Germany is among countries arming the Kurdish forces directly, providing military supplies and training. Since the start of deliveries more than 30 such shipments, totaling some 2,000 metric tons, have gone to Iraq.

Germany has about 150 servicemen in northern Iraq that train Kurdish forces on how to use and repair advanced modern weapons delivered by Germany, including anti-tank weapons. From time to time Kurdish soldiers are also being trained in one of Germany’s well-known military training centers in Muenster.