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Kirkuk
- In Kirkuk’s Shorja, Imam Qasim, Shoraw, and Rahimawa neighborhoods, Kurds held anti-government protests after the deterioration of primary services, including electricity, continued. The government provides only four hours of “national power” while the population primarily depends on private sector generators, which have become increasingly costly.
- Several ISIS (Da’esh) attacks in Kirkuk hit the Daquq district this week, including on January 23rd, when a civilian named Ibrahim Hamad Ismail was kidnapped in the Yarghon village. The next day, an IED targeted a reconnaissance scout of Iraq’s 8th army division, killing three soldiers and wounding one in Albu Shahab village. Iraq’s Interior Ministry announced the highest level of emergency alert and called on security personnel on withdraw. Moreover, on Tuesday, January 25th, Da’esh terrorists clashed with federal police near the Rokhana valley, leading Iraq’s airforce to intervene after unconfirmed reports of the two death of police and wounding of four others. Likewise, on Thursday, January 27th, Da’esh terrorists attacked the commando brigade on three axes near Daquq’s Tamour village. The fighting lasted over two hours. Meanwhile, security forces announced the arrest of a Da’esh sniper in Hawija district.
- On Tuesday, January 25th, the Iraqi Integrity Commission released a statement announcing an appeal against recent “simple” sentences the Central Anti-Corruption Criminal Court issued against several officials who were sentenced to one year in prison. The officials were responsible for allocating relief funds for displaced people in Kirkuk. The commission called for “Toughening the penalties”
Khanaqin
- Khanaiqin’s agriculture department said fears of drought have led the farmers to only cultivate 50% of the farmlands in the area, totaling approximately 10,000 dunums. The farmers’ hesitancy comes from losing much of their crops last year due to the drought caused by rain scarcity and water cut off on rivers by Iran. Separately, a demonstration in front of Khanaqin’s mayor’s office called for the government to provide kerosene, which is supposed to be allocated by the government in the winter. The town suffers from a lack of essential services, including heating fuel.
Makhmour
- On Sunday, January 23rd, Da’esh terrorists attacked a base of the Iraqi army west of the mountain range. After clashes, the Da’esh terrorists withdrew to their hideouts. Meanwhile, in Makhmour, Turkish drones hovered over the refugee camp holding Kurds from Turkey on Wednesday. The Makhmour refugee camp has suffered several Turkish airstrikes since 2017.
Shingal (Sinjar)
- On Friday, January 21st, a Turkish drone struck a convoy of the Sinjar Resistance Units (YBS), killing three members, including a commander named Ali Shair. On Friday, January 28th, another Turkish airstrike targeted a senior leader of the YBS named Seliman Shamo Yousif in front of his home in Shingal’s Shilo neighborhood. Turkish-state-owned news confirmed the Yazidi casualties.
- A Yazidi lawmaker, former mayor of Shingal, Mehma Khalil, warned about the possible arrival of fleeing terrorists from the Da’esh prison break in Syria’s Hasakah to the Yazidi region. Khalil called for “immediate” control of the security of Iraq-Syrian borders. Moreover, on Thursday, a military official said they thwarted Da’esh’s plan by Da’esh escapees to enter the region from Syria.