Four fire incidents have taken place within a week in an IDP camp housing Ezidi displaced families in Duhok province, while police arrested two suspects.
On August 12, 2019 a fourth fire incident within a week occurred in Chamshko Camp, which investigators believe it was intentional.
“The first incident was caused by an electric short circuit; I was close to the scene of the fire in which 17 tents burned down; however, the other three incidents are believed to be intentional,” Faysal Ali, a camp resident told KirkukNow.
He indicated that “a wet blanket soaked in kerosene was left near the scene of the second incident, while two suspects were seen fleeing the scene of the fourth incident as camp residents were trying to put out the fire.” Faysal Ali said he believed “some people are trying to disrupt security inside IDP camps.”
A wet blanket soaked in kerosene was left near the scene of the second incident
Overall, 20 tents were burned down and the damages were estimated at over 10 million IQD (approximately US$ 8,000). No casualties were reported in the incidents.
Bewar Abdul-Aziz, head of Duhok civil defense directorate’s media department, speaking to KirkukNow, said, “some people tried to prevent our teams from reaching the scene of the incident.”
“We suspect that some of the camp residents are themselves setting fire to their tents so that they would be replaced by a house built with bricks,” he said.
Chamshko Camp is located in Duhok’s Zakho district. The camp is comprised of 5,000 tents which are home to over 28 thousand Ezidis who fled their homes in Shingal (Sinjar) west of Mosul.
Ma’moun Yahya, Chamshko camp manager said “two suspects have been arrested and are under investigations.”
