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Kirkuk
- Despite ongoing security campaigns by Iraqi forces in the province, ISIS (Da’esh) continues to launch attacks against security forces and critical infrastructure. On Saturday, July 24, Da’esh assault on a security checkpoint resulted in the death of three members of the federal police near Riyad. On Sunday, Da’esh terrorists fired a Katyusha rocket on central Riyad without causing human or property losses. The rocket attack is the first in the area since the physical defeat of the “Caliphate.” Further, the security forces announced the arrest of several terrorists in Kirkuk, among those two Da’esh members involved in the recent suicidal attack in Baghdad.
- Unknown gunmen raided the home of a former champion weightlifter named Mohammed Shamsadeen. During the attack, his wife and daughter were severely injured. Since October 16, 2017 many security forces control the province, including Iranian-backed militias.
- The Kirkuk branch of Iraq’s National Security Agency announced the arrest of a cell involved in COVID-19 vaccination card forgery. Thousands of fake vaccination cards and different types of health department stamps were confiscated during the arrest raid. The Delta variant of the coronavirus has widely spread across the county. The Iraqi government issued compulsory vaccinations for public employees and security personnel.
- The director of Migration and Displacement, Ammar Sabah, announced that 45,000 displaced people remain in the province despite the closure of displaced camps. The displaced are Sunni Arabs from Nineveh, Saladin, Diyala provinces, and the Hawija district of Kirkuk. Since 2014, Kirkuk has hosted 120,000 displaced people, and many could not return due to aggression by the Iranian-backed militias against the Sunni population.
- Disagreements among Sunni Arabs, mainly between the ruling Jabouri tribe and the opposition Obaidi tribe, reached another level before the parliamentary elections. A delegation of the al Obaidi tribe visited Baghdad and met with Sunni leaders, including Speaker Mohamed al-Halbousi, requesting a role in the local administration of Kirkuk. The delegation complained about al Jabouri’s domination in government posts. In 2003, the two main Sunni Arab tribes in Kirkuk started competing with each other. Further, the Arab Political Council (PC) rejected a request by the Turkish-backed Turkmen Front to withdraw from the upcoming elections. The APC insisted on running in the polls. Meanwhile, the Turkmen Front is hoping for the delay of elections due to its Sunni-Shia division. Sunni leaders within the Turkmen Front rejected a request by senior Shia members to hold a party congress before elections. Turkey backs the Sunni Turkmens while the Shias are considered as Iranian proxies.
- Kirkuk’s Operation Command rejects transferring its liaison office to the K1 military base due to the presence of a variety of forces that are not under a centralized command. The K1 base is located outside of Kirkuk city, and since October 16, 2017, different factions of Iranian-backed militias have been stationed there in addition to the federal police and Iraqi Army.
Khanaqin
- Anti-government protests resumed in Khanaqin, with protestors calling for the end of electricity and water shortage facing the town for months. Earlier this month, organizers of the protests threatened to take to the streets once again after the mayorship failed to deliver its 10-days pledge to solve the shortage of primary services, mainly electricity and water. On Tuesday, July 27th, protesters stormed the mayor’s office and water and power departments. The protests are expected to continue.
- On Thursday, July 29th, Da’esh terrorists attacked Iraqi army units near Nafitkhana, resulting in the death of a soldier and the injury of two others. Da’esh attacks have increased dramatically since October 16, 2017.
Tuz Khurmatu
- On Thursday, an Iraqi Army helicopter crashed near the Amirli sub-district, killing five, including two army first colonels and a major. The reasons for the crash are under investigation, but the area faces Da’esh threats daily. Separately, the security forces conducted a sweep and announced the discovery of a Da’esh hideout and several weapons near Dawda, between Kifri and Tuz Khurmatu.
- The Security Cell in Tuz Khurmatu announced the arrest of a group of drug dealers consisting of three individuals involved in dealing with Crystal Meth. During the bust, the security forces seized 4.4 lb of the drug.
Makhmour
- The Integrity Commission issued an arrest warrant for the head of the Silo in the town for charges related to buying grade three wheat and recording it at grade one. The agriculture industry has seen mass corruption in the past few years.
Shingal
- The Mayor of Shinagal (Sinjar), Mahma Khalil, said that 3,000 Yazidis were still missing since the Yazidi Genocide by Da’esh in 2014. Khalik issued a statement saying the Yazidi Community is “disappointed” toward all sides since, after seven years, the fate of thousands remains unsolved. Further, due to political division among the Yazidi Kurds, three different genocide anniversaries will occur in the town on August 3rd. The Yazidi community is divided into several sides, including Baghdad, Erbil, Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), and Iranian-backed militias.