Tribal feud over history book leads to extended shootout in Erbil

A dispute between two families sparked by the contents of a book resulted in gunfire on Saturday in a residential neighborhood of the Kurdistan Region’s capital of Erbil.

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A dispute between two families sparked by the contents of a history book resulted in extended and often heavy machine gun fire late Friday night in a residential district of the Kurdistan Region’s capital of Erbil.

Those in or around the Hawlery Nwe neighborhood were startled to hear hundreds of shots ring out in the normally quiet city. Soon, videos showing rounds visible in the night sky circulated on social media, raising fears among many citizens. 

“The armed conflict was controlled by Erbil police and security forces without any casualties,” the spokesperson for Erbil Police, Hogir Aziz, told Kurdistan 24.

Surprisingly, no injuries from the entire incident have so far been reported. After security forces diffused the situation, police arrested at least three of the suspected shooters.

“The root of the conflict started because of a book written by an author in the tribe which described the clan’s history, though without mentioning one elder clan member,” said Aziz.

“This ignited the dispute between the two clan members.” He continued. “It escalated further until it turned into a gunfight between their two families.”

According to social media posts, the feud involved members of the Khailani tribe but the Erbil police did not confirm this.

Editing by John J. Catherine