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Kirkuk
- On Tuesday, May 17, the Iraqi army prevented Kurdish farmers from harvesting their crops after objections by settled Arabs near Palkana village. The Kurdish farmers accused the Iraqi forces of “protecting” the settlers. After the widespread demonstration, the Kurds could harvest their lands, but dozens of Arab settlers remained in tents in the area. The area is near the Sargaran subdistrict, and settlers occupied about 3,000 dunams (741 acres) from Kurds during the former regime. After October 16, 2017, Baghdad renewed the Arabization policies in the “disputed territories.”
- The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) denied the Iraqi North Oil Company’s (NOC) claim that it seized control of several oil fields north of Kirkuk and accused the NOC of operating unlawfully in Iraqi Kurdistan for years. “The campaign against the Kurdistan Region is politically motivated and has no legal basis. The accusations against the Kurdistan Region are far from the truth and are only to create chaos and against the rights of the Kurdish people,” read a KRG statement. On May 19, the Iraqi government told the foreign oil companies operating in the Kurdistan Region to sign new contracts with Baghdad in a new attempt to control the natural resources of Kurdistan following a ruling by Iraq’s Supreme Court in February.
- ISIS (Da’esh) terrorists attacked the federal police in Wadi Zaghaiton near Rashad subdistrict, killing an officer. Moreover, on May 12, the Iraqi counter-terrorism conducted four operations with the support of Kurdish anti-terror forces in Erbil, and the global coalition in four areas, including Hamrin mountains. As a result, five terrorists were captured, including a senior leader. Separately, about 12.5 acres of farmland were set on fire near Daquq on May 18. The locals blamed arsonists as the area faces large fires in farmlands every summer. In 2019 large swaths of land were set on fire in Iraq and Syria, mainly where Da’esh was active.
- Two Kurdish lawmakers announced the filing of several corruption cases against Kirkuk’s administration, including its municipality. According to the lawmakers, 8,000 lands have been sold illegally to people outside Kirkuk.
- Kirkuk’s health department warns citizens to stay home unless urgent during sandstorms, since they contain Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM2.5), causing strokes and heart and lung diseases.
Tuz Khurmatu
- Tension arose when several Arab settlers attempted to occupy Tapa Sawz village in Tuz Khurmatu. However, the Kurdish residents and farms in the area prevented their attempt, and the settlers retreated to Heliwa village.
- Da’esh terrorists freed a Kurdish shepherd named Sarwat Rashid, kidnapped near Kifir for 30,000 ransom. Moreover, the Peshmerga forces conducted a joint operation with Iraqi forces east of Tuz Khurmatu on May 12. During the military sweep, an IED exploded on the vehicle of the deputy commander of 144th Peshmerga Brigade, Mohammed Chawri, resulting in material damages only.
Makhmour
- The Iraqi air force used F-16 jets to strike Da’esh positions, while Peshmerga forces, jointly with Iraqi forces, conducted raids near the Qara Chokh mountain of Makhmour. During the operation, six Da’esh terrorists were killed. Moreover, the Iraqi army chief of staff Abdulameer Yalullah visited the area and met with Peshmerga commanders for further cooperation that Baghdad has lacked to conduct despite previous agreements.
Shingal (Sinjar)
- On May 17, United Nations’ Special Representative to Iraq Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert presented a report about the situation in Iraq, including Shingal, to the Security Council. Hennis-Plasschaert described the Sinjar agreement between Erbil and Baghdad as a “glimmer of hope: a very first but important step in the right direction.” Meanwhile, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said that “two-thirds of Sinjar’s population – over 193,000 Yezidis, Arabs, and Kurds – remain displaced.” Though recent clashes have stopped between the Iraqi forces and the Sinjar Resistance Units (YBS), 10,260 have not returned to their homes since they were displaced last month.