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Kirkuk
- For the third time in less than two weeks, arson targeted farms owned by the Kaka’i Kurds near Daquq district. On May 24th, nearly 156 dunams (38 acres) of wheat crops were set on fire in the Kaka’i and Omar bin Khatab villages. The recurrence of arsons in recent years obligated some farmers to harvest crops earlier. ISIS (Da’esh) terrorists have been responsible for most fires set on farmlands in both Iraq and Syria since 2019.
- Kirkuk police arrested 38 “foreigners” without proper residency cards. The police said they sent their cases to the court since they stayed in Kirkuk illegally. On a different note, nine people were arrested on Thursday, May 19, for drug usage and dealing.
- Owners of private generators protested against the government for cutting their gas supply. A new government law makes the owners of generators buy gas from private refineries. The protestors announced they would raise the price of electricity to 200% due to the high cost of gas in private refineries. Another demonstration is set for June 1st. The electricity in Kirkuk has decreased by 75% since October 16, 2017.
- On May 22nd, the Food Security Committee, a part of the Ministry of Commerce, decided to ban wheat and barley exports from Kirkuk. The committee’s decision aims to force farmers to sell their crops to the government. The farmers are reluctant to sell their wheat to the government since it takes more than two years to receive payments. Currently, the government warehouses and silos are empty, risking food crises in the province.
- On May 23rd and 24th, the Turkish-backed Turkmen Front held its general congress and expelled Arshad Salihi, the party’s lawmaker and former leader. His removal is due to internal differences between two wings: Islamists led by the current leader Hassan Turan and nationalists led by Salihi. Last year, the Islamist wing, part of the Muslim Brotherhood, removed Salihi as the head of the party. Salihi won a parliamentary seat last October. Meanwhile, On May 19th, Turkmen parties held a press conference demanding “joint administration” in the province at 32% for each Kurds, Arabs, Turkmen, and 4% for Christians. The following day, the Kirkuk administration stated that they were not against the arrangement, and several posts were given to the Turkmen population.
- At 5:14 am on May 21, Turkish warplanes bombed the village of Tutaqal in the Aghjaler district. Four hours after the incident, at 9:00 am, the village leader (Mokhtar), Aram Hamad Khan, and his son-in-law, Ismail Mamend, went to the scene and found three Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighters wounded. A Turkish drone bombed their vehicle taking the three PKK fighters to the Aghjaler health center, killing all five. Khan and Mamend were survivors of the Anfal process, and more than 80 members of their families were killed.
Khanaqin
- At 10 pm on May 23rd, ISIS fighters attacked Islah village in Jalawla (Golala) district and killed four civilians. The security media cell reported, “Four civilians, including a man, two women, and a child, were killed in the attack. Two soldiers were wounded during the rescue operation.
Tuz Khurmatu
- On May 23rd, Da’esh terrorists killed six Turkmen farmers during harvesting their lands. According to the security cell, the incident occurred between the two villages (Baldagh and Dugshman) belonging to the Taza Khurmatu district near Kirkuk province. Before withdrawing, the terrorists set fire to more than 25 dunams (six acres) and farm equipment. Da’esh terrorists also wounded a soldier near Bastamali village in another attack on May 23rd.
- The Mayor, Hassan Zain al Abdin, said the drought reduced 79% of agricultural planning in Khurmatu. According to the mayor, the water level has decreased significantly in the area, and most of the farmers remain displaced, and upon their return, “the water crisis will greatly worsen.”
Makhmour
- On May 21st, hours after bombing the Aghjaler district, Turkish drones struck the Makhmour Refugee Camp twice. The first bombing targeted a pickup truck inside the camp, killing two people and wounding three others. The second bombing targeted the south of the camp without known damage.
Shingal (Sinjar)
- On May 21st, six “suicide drones” targeted the Zlikani base, housing the Turkish military near Mosul. After the incident, the “Ahrar Sinjar” group claimed responsibility for the attack in retaliation for the recent Turkish airstrikes in Iraq.