998
Kirkuk
- Iranian-backed militias kidnapped and tortured an off-duty Peshmerga named Ayman Abdi Jassem near Amerli on July 23. The militants assaulted Jassem, insulted his Kakai faith, and shaved his mustache. Hundreds of Kakai Kurds protested the attack and called for the Iraqi government to arrest the perpetrators immediately. The Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs described the act as “ugly, far from all customs and laws” and demanded the attackers be arrested. On July 25, a delegation from the Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) met with senior Kakai leaders and requested “some days” to find the perpetrators and hand them over for prosecution. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) representative to Kirkuk, Ali Iqbalpur, also participated in the meeting alongside the negotiating PMU delegation. On July 24, Kakai leaders from Mosul, Halabja, and Kirkuk met and laid out three conditions, including “the perpetrators must be brought to justice,” otherwise they will have a “ stronger stance.” Nearly ten thousand Kakais gathered in support of the leaders.
- Unknown militants bombarded the Khor Mor gas field in Sulaymaniyah Governorate’s Chamchamal District for the fourth time in less than a month on July 25. The Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Ministry of Natural Resources said, “There were no casualties, and the natural gas production process was unaffected.” On July 27, The Peshmerga forces conducted a military operation near Qadir Karam subdistrict and foiled another rocket attack at Khor Mor. The Peshmerga forces confiscated a truck with rocket launchers. The UAE-based Dana Gas manages the Khor Mor field, and suspected Iranian-backed militias began targeting it after Kurdish plans to export natural gas to Europe via Turkey were revealed.
- On July 25, ISIS (Da’esh) terrorists targeted three power towers, transferring electricity from Kirkuk to Tikrit. On the following day, the terrorists clashed with the security forces southwest of Daququ, injuring two federal police officers.
- Kirkuk police arrested “92 child beggars” in the city, brought from outside the province and used by traffickers. Separately, the police also arrested four prostitution groups consisting of 26 women, including seven teenagers. The police said members of the groups are not Kirkuk residents, and they confiscated counterfeit dollars during the arrests.
Khanaqin
- On July 26, a Diyala’s Operations Command delegation visited the 5th Infantry Brigade of the Peshmerga forces between Khanaqin and Kalar. According to a statement issued by the Peshmerga Brigade, they discussed the security situation in the region and filling the security gap between the two sides in Khanaqin and Kalar. The two sides stressed the need to promote relations and have further, cooperation, and coordination between them to destroy and eradicate the threat of Da’esh, which has increased dramatically since the October 16, 2017 events. Separately, in Tuz Khurmatu, a security meeting between the Iranian-backed militias, Iraqi federal police and army, and local police. According to a press release, four topics were discussed: “protection” of the border areas with the Kurdistan Region, strengthening coordination between security institutions, further protection of the Kirkuk-Baghdad road, and how to “find” Da’esh sleeper cells.”
Makhmour
- On July 28, Da’esh terrorists released a kidnapped shepherd named Saleem Dahan near Makhmour after 20 days of captivity. The shepherd’s family paid 50,000 US dollars for his release.
Shingal (Sinjar)
- On July 27, the Hamburg Regional High Court sentenced a German-born Da’esh terrorist to five and a half years in prison for “crimes against humanity” during the Yazidi Genocide. This trial was the second for Da’esh terrorists in Germany in connection with the genocide against the Yazidi community in Iraq and Syria.