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Kirkuk Minute covers the issues and events taking place in the disputed territories.
Kirkuk
- Three peshmerga were martyred and two others were injured in an ISIS (Da’esh) assault on two military posts north of Kirkuk on Saturday. The attack began when Da’esh operatives covertly gathered near the two posts and fired on the Peshmerga, sparking clashes that lasted about an hour. Following the attack, Kurdish officials again warned of Da’esh’s ongoing exploitation of the security vacuum in Iraq’s “Disputed Territories” that was greatly exacerbated when Iraqi forces and Iranian-backed militias took control of the area following the events of October 16, 2017. Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi met with Iraqi and Peshmerga officials to discuss ongoing security issues in the region. According to the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs, Jabar Yawar, al-Kadhimi agreed to facilitate improved coordination between Iraqi forces and the Peshmerga in an attempt to counter the ongoing Da’esh presence.
- On Sunday, Da’esh attacked a federal police position near Rashad sub-district west of Kirkuk. Additionally, Da’esh terrorists attacked Iranian-backed Turkmen militants in the vicinity of Bashir, south of Kirkuk city. The attack resulted in the death of one Turkmen militant and three others being wounded.
- In Daquq district, Dae’sh terrorists attacked the Iraqi Army and the federal police on multiple fronts including near Tamur village. On the same night, the federal police were also attacked near Zandana (Zenana) village east of Tuz Khurmatu.
- On Wednesday night, Da’esh terrorists blew up two oil fields (Fields 177 and 183) of Bai Hassan near Dibis district. As a result, an oil company police officer was killed.
- As a result of increased terror attacks by Da’esh, security forces launched large scale raids on several homes in Kirkuk in attempts to arrest wanted terrorists including those hiding among the displaced people from Tikrit and Diyala. Furthermore, the Iraqi Minister of Defense transferred three brigades of Iraq’s 31st army division from the Kurdish Shwan sub-district to Hawija district in the western part of the province while four more army brigades from Baghdad have been stationed near Sargaran sub-district to protect the oil installations.
- On Thursday, local police forces arrested several Iranian-backed Turkmen militants for attacking police officers on the streets Wednesday night. Initially the attackers refused to surrender to police which led the security forces to rally more forces surrounding the Turkmen Front headquarters building. The Iranian-backed Turkmen militants attackers are part of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) and members of a group known as “Kirkuk Shield.”
- Due to an increase of coronavirus cases in Kirkuk, at least 27 people died last week. Despite lockdowns, the virus has spread largely in the province amid poor health services.
Tuz-Khurmatu
- After continued attacks by Da’esh, the Iraqi security forces launched a new security operation in Salahadin province, mainly in areas bordering the Hawija and Tuz Khurmatu districts. On Sunday, four army personnel were injured due to an IED explosion north of Tuz Khurmatu.
Khanaqin
- Due to frequent terror attacks, at least 23 Kurdish villages have been vacated since 2019 as residents were forced to flee. The vacated villages are located in the Aliawa and Bawa Mahmud areas. Da’esh has launched a number of attacks on Khanaqin’s western and southern areas including the kidnapping of shepherds.
Makhmour
- In Mahmudia village of Qaraj Sub-district, a Da’esh IED severely wounded Iraqi army personnel on Sunday. Iraq’s second Brigade of the 14th army division has been in charge of the security in the area.
Shingal (Sinjar)
- On Sunday, members of the Sinjar Resistance Units (YBS) arrested an Iraqi army officer in Snuny town near Shingal. The officer was held for one day before the YBS released him. Arresting the officer came as retaliation for the detention of two YBS members by the Iraqi army last week. Tensions remain high in the Yazidi region between a number of different security forces stationed there including Iranian-backed militias.