The Arab and Turkmen parties and tribes call for the deployment of additional forces to Kirkuk and demand people to take up arms against the insurgent groups as their attacks are on the rise.
Only on the eve of Monday, May 4, five persons were killed and numerous members of the security forces were injured in multiple attacks took place in different areas of the province.
Mohammed Rayashi, the spokesperson of the United Arab Front (UAF), told KirkukNow, “the Islamic State (IS) members attacked Hashd Ashayari and Wasfi Asi in Rashad sub-distrit and when forces were deployed to back them, road side bombs exploded, that killed three members of Hashd (also known as Popular Moblization Force) and wounded another three.”
Rayashi referred the increasing attacks of IS to the broadness of the areas and the political rivarlies, so “everyone should unite their voices to confront the attacks.”
The Iraq force launched multiple security searches in various areas in Kirkuk on Tuesday, May 5th.
Maysam Hamdani, head of the Abdul Hamdan tribe and the commander of brigade 2nd of the PMF, called upon on his tribe and the people of south-western of Kirkuk to take up arms against the militants of Daesh.
Hassan Toran, the deputy head of Turkmen Front in Krikuk, issued a statement, in which he formmaly requested for the deployment of addtional troops to the province due to the instable security situation.”
A security source told KirkukNow that two members of brigade 51st of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) were killed by Daesh snipers in Shmit village, Hawija district, western Kirkuk.
Meanwhile, the War Media Cell announced in a statement that three IS militants were ambushed by the Iraq force in Ghida region, Daquq district, Kirkuk.
Jawdad Asafi, the media officer of Bridage 16th of PMF, said, “we tracked the activities of Daesh and could attack them with artilleries, that resulted in the killing of a militant and the injury of another three.”
Also, 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 Daesh.
Nasr Harki, a member of the Security and Defense Committee, earlier told KirkukNow , “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.”
The security forces in Kirkuk have been on alert for two months due to the instable security situation and the enforcement of a curfew aimed at preventing the spread of coronavirus.
The special 61st Unit belonging to the 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 , Popular Mobilization Forces, and Iraqi Federal Police, which are all under the chain of command of the Joint Operation Room.
