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Kirkuk
- ISIS terrorists increased attacks across the disputed territories. On Sunday, August 5th Da’esh operatives blew up a pipeline near the Sargaran sub-district. In a statement, the North Oil Company (NOC) announced that prior to the attack, the pipeline transferred 1,500 oil barrels a day from field No. 87 and that it will take ten days to repair. NOC estimated the loss at two million USD. Further, on Monday, August 16th, Da’esh terrorists attacked the federal police from three axes near the Rashad sub-district, killing two police after clashes. On the same night, Da’esh launched two more attacks, including near Zab sub-district and Daquq, killing a federal police officer and injuring an Iraqi soldier. Meanwhile, Da’esh IED disabled another power tower near Shirawa between Erbil and Kirkuk. Last week, the Minister of Electricity said Da’esh had damaged 160 power towers since the beginning of 2021.
- On Tuesday, August 17th, unknown shooters opened fire at a Mourning of Muharram ceremony in Kirkuk, resulting in one death and the injury of two. Though Da’esh did not declare responsibility, the terror group has targeted the tradition on many occasions.
- The Turkish-backed Turkmen Front rejected the recent agreement between Baghdad and Erbil in forming joint brigades in Kirkuk by the Peshmerga and Iraqi forces. The Turkmen Front called the Federal Government to continue handling the security file in the province. Kirkuk’s security has deteriorated since October 16, 2017, when shia militias and Iraqi forces and removed Kurdish forces. The recent agreement attempts to deploy joint forces in the disputed territories, especially in areas that suffer from a security vacuum.
- After nearly four years since the events of October 16th, Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) returns to Kirkuk to participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections on October 10th. KDP candidate Shakhawan Abdullah said the party is not reopening its main branch in Kirkuk, but it will have locations for election campaigns, including two in Kirkuk, one in Tuz Khurmatu, and two in Khanaqin. The KDP’s Kirkuk headquarters remains occupied by Iraqi forces.
- Despite completing the constitution for over a year, Kirkuk airport remains unopened due to security concerns. According to a source, the Kurdistan security authorities warned Baghdad that the airport could be used for wanted terrorists and corrupted officials to escape.
- During her visit to Kirkuk, the Minister of Migration and Displacement, Evan Faeq Jabro, announced that 25,000 displaced families from Mosul, Diyala, Tikrit, Haweja remain in Kirkuk city. Previously, the head of Kirkuk’s Migration and Displacement said that only 45,000 displaced people remain in Kirkuk, contradicting Jabro’s announcement. According to Kurdish officials, the number of the displaced people in the province, mainly from Sunni areas, is much larger than those announced. Security threats by Da’esh, Iranian-backed militias, and lack of services have been obstacles to returning the displaced people.
Khanaqin
- The Department of Agriculture announced that 80% of Khanaqin date farms had been converted to housing constructions. According to the department, the town had 170 date farms, but now only seven farms remain. In the past years, arsonists burned many date farms, as observers see it as a legal loophole for its conversion to urban areas. Khanaqin produced 11% of Iraq dates.
- The Garmian court, part of Kurdistan’s judiciary in Kalar, issued a death sentence for a Da’esh terrorist from Uzbekistan responsible for a car bomb in Qara Tapah in 2014 that killed several civilians. The terrorist named Azadbek Za’afer joined Da’esh after traveling via Turkey to Syria and later to Iraq.
Tuz Khurmatu
- On Tuesday, August 17th, the Peshmerga and Iraqi Army conducted a joint security operation in Tuz Khurmatu. In a statement by the Peshmerga forces, they announced the finding of a Da’esh tunnel that consisted of several rooms and storages for ammo and military uniforms. According to the Peshmerga forces, the tunnel was connected to other tunnels in the area, and they used 10kg of TNT to demolish it.
- On Thursday, August 19th, dozens of Iranian-backed militias walked over US and Israel flags during the Mourning of Muharram ceremony in Tuz Khurmatu. Since October 16, 2017, the Iran proxies control the town’s security amid the absence of the Kurds.
Makhmour
- Da’esh terrorists sought 400,000 USD ransom to release people they kidnapped on August 7th and 8th near Makhmour. So far, Da’esh released two for 100,000 USD each, and four more people remain kidnapped. The police suspected Da’esh had taken the kidnapped civilians to Qara Chokh mountain, making it hard for security to free them. Separately, the Peshmerga forces informed temporary eviction to nurseries and poultries near the Qara Chokh mountains due to security risk on the workers by Da’esh terrorists.
Shingal (Sinjar)
- On Monday, August 16th, a Turkish drone strike destroyed a vehicle inside the Yazidi town of Shingal (Sinjar) on Tuesday, killing a commander of the Sinjar Resistance Units (YPS) named Saed Hassan and his nephew, who was also a YPS member. The drone strike also wounded three civilians named Media Semo, Abbas Barjas, and Mirza Ali. The following day, another Turkish airstrike on a clinic used by the YPS members killed at least eight people, including four YPS members, a physician, and three nurses. The attacks sparked anger among the Yazidis while the US Department of State only acknowledged the “Turkish operation in northern Iraq.”