German Minister of Defense Ursula von der Leyen has stated that, in the fight against ISIS in Iraq, the Bundeswehr—the unified armed forces of Germany—will assist not solely the Kurds in northern Iraq, but also the central government in Baghdad, reported the Deutsche Welle (DW) TV and radio company of Germany.

“This will be another mandate, in which a new balance will be maintained between Baghdad and Erbil,” Leyen stated on Sunday, during her visit to a Bundeswehr base nearby Erbil, the capital city of the Kurdish autonomy.

In her view, the unified armed forces of Germany will intervene in the conflict between Baghdad and the Kurds in northern Iraq. The German minister noted that both Baghdad and Erbil place great hopes on this German mission.

Ursula von der Leyen said that, in particular, the new German mission will provide advice to Iraqi ministries in implementing reforms, as well as medical assistance and logistics support.