| Pêşmerge Zêrevanî | |
|---|---|
| زێرەڤانی Zêrevanî | |
 Zêrevanî logo | |
| Active | 1997–2006 (as Kurdish forces)[1] 2006–present (Kurdistan Regional Government) |
| Country |  Iraq |
| Allegiance |  Kurdistan Regional Government |
| Branch | Peshmerga |
| Role | Gendarmerie |
| Size | 200,000 active 250,000 reservists[2][3] |
| Garrison/HQ | Zaxo |
| Nickname | Zerêvanî |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Commander | Lieutenant General Ezîz Weysî Banî |
| Notable commanders | Hana Peshang Miran |
TheZerevani[4] (Kurdish:زێرەڤانی,romanized: Zêrevanî,lit. 'Guard orGuardian') orZeravani,[5] sometimesZeravani Army[6] are the militarized force (described as agendarmerie by some[5]) operated byKurdistan Regional Government.
The Zêrevanî are under the operational control of the Kurdish Ministry of the Interior[1][7] but are a part of thePeshmerga (armed forces), and provide security for government and industrial property and support to civilian police & the military.[6][8] The first Commanding Chief of Zêrevanî was Faridun Jwanroyi, Fraydoon resigned in 2010 and Aziz Weysi Bani was assigned as the Major General of the Zêrevanî.[7]
The Zêrevanî were established in 1997 by the KDP in order to support the police andAsaysh forces; according to Major General Aziz Waisi, the Zêrevanî's role over the years expanded to also protect electricity stations and water resources,[1] as well as embassies, consulates, government offices and other sensitive targets.[9]
According to Stratfor, as of 2004 two Zêrevanî divisions (totaling 30,000 troops) were established in theIraqi Federal Police.[10] In 2011, the Zêrevanî strength was of 47,000,[1] while as of 2017, Zêrevanî strength is of 51,000;[11][12] among these, there are severalChristians of Kurdistan Region.[13]
Zêrevanî accepts recruits aged between 18 and 27. They need to provide an Iraqi national ID and food coupons, to be literate, to have a clean record and a recommendation in terms of moral and loyalty issues;[1] women are allowed to, and do, serve.[9]
In June 2008, the Zêravanî were the subject of anAmnesty International campaign after the alleged kidnap of a Kurdish journalist.[8] According to Canadian websiteMcLeans.ca, the Zêravanî are considered loyal to the rulingKurdistan Democratic Party;[7] according to Major General Aziz Waisi, all political activities are forbidden within the Zêravanî, although party membership is allowed.[1]
In November 2009, the Zêrevanî began training conducted alongside theIraqi Federal Police,[4] in order to conduct effective police work and counter-insurgency operations.[14] Since 2014, also the Zeravani have undergone training with theCombined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve. The Zêrevanî training is conducted primarily by theItalianCarabinieri,[14] but also by Canadian,[7] British, German, Dutch, Norwegian, Finnish and Hungarian forces.[14] As of 2016, the Zêrevanî were also trained by Italian Army[15]
A Zêrevanî division led by Colonel Abu Rish was fighting against ISIS near Mosul during summer 2015;[16] in 2016 the Zeravani, according to Colonel Abdularrahman Hassan, still occupied frontline positions around Mosul.[7]
Because Zêrevanî forces were low on equipment when they began training, thePeshmerga army donated some of their weapons to the Zêrevanî. TheKurdistan Regional Government set them up a base and allowed them to buy their own weapons. The Zeravani unlike the Peshmerga are equipped with modern American, Russian and French arms and weapons. While the Peshmerga often use old Soviet and American weapons from the 60s.[17]
| Weapon Name | Picture | Origin | Number | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M16 |  |  USA | Unknown | |
| M4A1 |  | USA | Unknown | |
| AK-12 |  |  Russia | Unknown | |
| FAMAS G2 |  France | Unknown | ||
| Barrett M82 | .jpg) | USA | Unknown | |
| M-24 sniper rifle |  | USA | Unknown | |
| Dragunov SVU |  | Russia | Unknown | |
| Zastava M91 |  |  Yugoslavia | Unknown | |
| PSG-1 |  |  West Germany | Unknown |
| Weapon Name | Picture | Note |
|---|---|---|
| RPG-7 | .jpg) | |
| RPG-29 |  | |
| AT4 |  | |
| 9K111 Fagot |  | |
| Panzerfaust 3 |  |
| Vehicle Name | Picture | Origin | Number | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-62 |  |  Soviet Union | 116 | 116 tanks captured fromMosul in 2003. |
| T-54/T-55 |  | Soviet Union | 132 | 121 tanks captured from theIraqi Army in 1991 and 27 tanks captured from theIraqi Army in 2003.8 tanks destroyed during the 1990sand 6 tanks destroyed in the fight against ISIS[18] |
| Vehicle Name | Picture | Note |
|---|---|---|
| GAZ-66 |  | |
| Humvee[19] |  | Peshmerga forces currently have 3000+ Humvees. |
| Toyota Hilux |  | |
| LMTV |  | |
| Toyota Land Cruiser Pickup | Known as "Mig Zamin" within the Peshmerga Forces. | |
| Nissan Titan |  | |
| Defender-110[20] |  |
| Name | Picture | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ZU-23-2 |  | 16 pieces captured fromIraqi Army in 1991 and 5 were given byRussia in 2016.[21] |
| 85 mm air defense |  | 10 pieces inherited from theRepublic of Kurdistan and 18 further pieces donated by theSoviet Union in 1961–62. |
| AZP S-60 |  | 12 pieces donated by theSoviet Union in 1957 and 1963, 18 pieces captured fromIraqi Army in 1991 and 24 pieces in 2003. |
| ZSU-23-4 |  | 21 pieces captured fromIraqi Army in 2003. |
