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Kirkuk
- On Friday, August 6th, an ISIS (Da’esh) IED exploded in the downtown “Friday Bazaar,”, resulting in property damage and minor damage to a police vehicle. Further, on Sunday, August 8th, Da’esh terrorists kidnapped four workers of artesian wells near al Zab sub-district, beheading one and releasing the rest after a few hours. Meanwhile, attacks on power towers continued across the disputed territories, including targeting 11 more power towers near Riyad on Sunday and Monday. So far, Da’esh has disabled 160 power towers across the Sunni provinces and the disputed territories.
- On Thursday, August 22th, police arrested the “most dangerous” drug dealer in Kirkuk’s Hay Askari neighborhood. The police announced that the suspect opened fire at police and later was arrested with 24 kilograms of Crystal Meth in his possession. Since October 16, 2017, Kirkuk has become the main route for drug trafficking, mainly brought from Iran with the help of Iranian-backed militias.
- The Turkish-backed Iraqi Turkman Front renewed fraud claims against Kirkuk’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC). In a statement, the Turkmen Front alleged that several biometrics devices had gone missing, and it demanded guarantees that they wouldn’t change the election outcome. The commission denied the allegations and said that in 2018 only four devices were stolen, but an investigation by the Integrity Commission resulted in closing the case. The Turkman Front fears losing two seats in Iraqi Parliament due to changes in election laws.
- The Education Ministry decided to hire 10,655 teachers in Kirkuk, but only 8% of the new hires are Kurds due to discriminatory policies. Since October 16, 2017, the Kurds have lost more than 120 government positions and are excluded from new posts.
Khanaqin
- Due to repeated Da’esh attacks, people continue to evict their villages. In a press conference, the Mayor of Khanaqin, Bawer Azad Ali announced that 17 villages had been evicted between Khanaqin, Jalwla, and Qara Tapah, demanding an “immediate” solution to the security situation in the region.
- In recent weeks, armed attacks on municipal employees have increased, especially on those committees responsible for construction build illegally on government property. On Wednesday, an unknown person opened fire on municipal employees in the process of removing homes constructed unlawfully. The incident did not result in casualties. The lack of fair distribution of lands has resulted in millions of illegal buildings in the country.
Tuz Khurmatu
- The IHEC announced that 70% of voters had received their election cards, and many of the unclaimed cards belong to Kurdish constituents. Thousands of Kurds were forced to leave the town when Iranian-backed militias occupied the city on October 16, 2017. Tuz Khurmatu has 125,000 eligible voters.
- The security forces in Tuz Khurmatu announced the discovery of four Da’esh hideouts and a tunnel east of the town near Palkana. Several IEDs and rockets were seized during the raids.
Makhmour
- ISIS (Da’esh) terrorists set up a fake checkpoint on the main road between Makhmour and Erbil late Saturday, kidnapping five travelers and wounding three. Furthermore, on Monday, Da’esh operatives killed one Iranian-backed militiaman and injured another near al Kuwayr, 20 miles north of Makhmour. Da’esh terrorists also kidnapped a Kurdish shepherd near Makhmour and killed two federal police officers west of Kirkuk. Further, both al Jabur and al Shamar Arab tribes asked for help from other tribes in their planned attacks on the Qara Chokh mountains, where several members of their tribes have been kidnapped in recent months. The area had seen intense Da’esh attacks, unlike before October 16, 2017, when Baghdad removed the Peshmerga forces.
Shingal (Sinjar)
- The Ministry of Migration and Displaced held a large meeting to discuss the situation of the displaced Yazidis, including the second wave of Yazidi displacement due to lack of services and security. Though the ministry announced their efforts to prevent further displacement, 213 Yazidi families returned to Duhok for a second time after their brief return to their homes. Since Da’esh committed the Yazidi Genocide, Shingal has not seen stability or services provided by the federal government.
- Many Iraqi media outlets reported that Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has several candidates in the upcoming parliamentary elections. Among those candidates are a Yazidi and two others in the Nineveh. The PKK has not responded to the media reports.