A joint operation room in Kirkuk is supposed to be formed in the near future, that will also contain the Peshmerga forces.
On Tuesday April 28, the Iraqi Forces and the Parliamentary Committee of Security and Defense met and discussed the formation of a joint operation room in which the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) will cooperate to combat the remnants of the Islamic State group (IS).
Nasr Harki, a member of the Security and Defense Committee, stated, “the general commander of the Kirkuk’s Joint Operations attended the meeting and the cooperation of the KRG to combat IS sleep cells in Kirkuk and the other disputed areas was asked for.”
Harki claimed, “in the near future, a new joint operation room will be created, that the security forces of the KRG including the Peshmerga will be part of.”
A new joint operation room will be created, that the security forces of the KRG including the Peshmerga will be part of
Hassan al- Kaabi, the first deputy speaker of parliament, chaired the meeting and reaffirmed the urgent need to speed up the formation of the joint operation room between the Iraqi federal government and the KRG to exchange intelligence and conducting operations in order reduce and confront the attacks of the IS members.
The meeting was urgently arranged after two suicide attacks occurred in front of the entrance of the Intelligence and Anti-terrorism headquarter in Kirkuk in the morning of Tuesday, April 28, resulting in the injury of four security members, including an officer.
Kirkuk, the aftermath of a suicide attack in front of the Intelligence and Anti-terrorism headquarter, April 28, 2020. Photo: Kirkuk Security Forces
The suicide attacks took place at 10:45 a.m. and targeted the Intelligence and Anti-terrorism headquarter located in Al Qadisya neighborhood.
The War Media Cell of the Iraqi government published that “a terrorist detonated himself at the at the entrance to the Kirkuk Intelligence and Anti-Terrorism Directorate, resulting in the injury of two members.”
Meanwhile, the Kirkuk High Security Committee, in a statement, “ensured people about the stability of the situation and chasing Daesh (Islamic State members).”
The incident happened after a series of attacks in the different areas of Kirkuk province.
On Friday, April 24, the Special 61 Unit arrested three suspects charged with terrorism law, who planned to carry out attacks in the first day of Ramada in the city of Kirkuk, according to a source.
Earlier, on April 16, a group of IS sleep cells were arrested and their weapons were confiscated in the security searches of the forces in three neighborhoods of the city, more than a source confirmed to KirkukNow.
The security forces in Kirkuk have been on alert for two months due to the security situation and the enforcement of a curfew aimed at preventing the spread of coronavirus.
The special 61 unit belonging prime minister, as well as police forces, are in charge of the security apparatus of the city of Kirkuk. The other areas of the province are secured by Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), Popular Mobilization Forces, and Iraqi Federal Police, which are all under the chain of command of the Joint Operation Room.
