Police arrest man who killed Peshmerga in Erbil

The Police Director promised the perpetrator would face trial and pay for his crime.

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Erbil Governorate Police Directorate (EGPD) on Tuesday arrested a man who had killed a Peshmerga officer outside a Mosque after prayers in Kurdistan Region’s Erbil Province.

Othman Abdulla Karim, a Lieutenant Colonel in the Peshmerga forces, was on his way home with his son after leaving a local Mosque in Erbil’s Kasnazan subdistrict and buying fruit for his family.

It was then, near the Mosque, when an armed man shot Karim twice from a black BMW, killing him instantly. His son was unharmed.

Locals immediately rushed to the scene of the crime only to find the body of the Peshmerga before taking him to the hospital.

“He [Karim] was a respected family man, a devout Muslim, and an educator to the local children,” a neighbor of the victim told Kurdistan 24.

Lieutenant Colonel Othman Abdulla Karim of the Peshmerga forces. (Photo: Archive)
Lieutenant Colonel Othman Abdulla Karim of the Peshmerga forces. (Photo: Archive)

“Through investigations into the incident, we [the police] located and went to the house of the suspect. After one hour of resisting, he finally surrendered,” Abdulkhaliq Talaat, Director of EGPD, revealed.

“We have started questioning the suspect under Article 406 and discovered there were previous altercations between the two sides [Karim and his killer],” Talaat added.

The Police Director promised the perpetrator would face trial and pay for his crime.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany