Peshmerga

The Peshmerga are the internal security forces of the Kurdistan Region. According to the Constitution of Iraq, federal regions are responsible for "the establishment and organization of the internal security forces for the respective regions, such as police, security forces, and regional guards." Other security institutions of the Kurdistan Region include the Zêrevanî (gendarmerie), Asayish, Parastin u Zanyarî and the Kurdish police force. The modern Peshmerga were established in 1946 as the national army of the Mahabad republic. However, the history of Kurdish armed fighters dates back to antiquity and was partly organized in the 16th to 19th century, when they served as soldiers for various Kurdish tribal leaders and principalities, as well as tribal paramilitary border guards under Ottoman and Safavid rule. By the 20th century, these forces had evolved into a more disciplined and organized guerrilla movement fighting for the independence of Kurdistan, and in the 21st century they were institutionalized under the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).