Curfew declared in Kirkuk

Kirkuk police announced that a curfew had been declared and asked residents of the city to return to their homes due to the protests in the city.

OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia es-Sudani has ordered security forces to launch an operation against those who caused an incident in Kirkuk, where a curfew has been declared.

The protesters gathered in the Rahimava region of Kirkuk, where Kurds live intensely, and blocked some roads by burning tires.

The protesters also want the Erbil-Kirkuk highway to be opened, which was closed by those opposed to returning the building, used by the KDP until 2017, to the party.

When the protesters, arguing that the building used by the army should be handed over to the KDP, approached the area of ​​action carried out by Arabs and Turkmen in front of the headquarters, the security forces opened fire into the air, it was observed that Smoke was rising from the scene and ambulances were dispatched to the area.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Peshmerga forces affiliated with the Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) began deploying to bases evacuated by the Iraqi army in Kirkuk following the rise of the ISIS terrorist organization in 2014, taking de facto control of the city for 3 years.

Following the KRG-organized “independence referendum” on September 25, 2017, central government-affiliated forces entered Kirkuk on October 16, 2017, ending the peshmerga presence in the city.

The Iraqi army evacuated the KDP building and turned it into the Kirkuk Operations Command headquarters.

KDP claims that the building in question has already been used by them before and should be returned to them.

Protests against the preparations for the evacuation of the building by order of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia es-Sudani and its handover to the PDK have continued since 25 August. (AA)