From what I've read, most of the Kurds are fighters or consider themselves to be, not surprised at all if one of their political figures would travel with soldiers.
I read that in an article from FOX:
Kurdish troop strength along the southern frontline has risen from less than 400 several weeks ago to between 1,500 and 1,800 now. Mola Bakhtiyar, a Kurdish political and military leader, said it would rise quickly to about 3,000.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,83323,00.html