Hashd al-Shaabi kidnap two Kurdish youth in Daquq, motive unknown

Members of the Iranian-backed Shia Hashd al-Shaabi militias kidnapped two young Kurds in a town south of Daquq, security sources and witnesses said on Thursday.

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – Members of the Iranian-backed Shia Hashd al-Shaabi militias kidnapped two young Kurds in a town south of Daquq, security sources and witnesses said on Thursday.

The witnesses, who asked to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the situation, said gunmen from the Hashd al-Shaabi, also known as the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), had kidnapped two young Kurds in Daquq after they stormed the Abdullah al-Ghanmi village.

One of them told Kurdistan 24 that members of the PMF entered the village late last night before the two young Kurds were abducted and taken to an unknown location.

The exact motives for the arrests are unclear as the Shia militias have not mentioned the incident on their media outlets.

Like the city of Kirkuk, which was taken over by Iraqi forces and the Iranian-backed Hashd al-Shaabi last October, Daquq has suffered a similar fate regarding the safety of civilians.

Security in the disputed area—inhabited by a mixture of Kurds, Turkmens, and Arabs—has considerably deteriorated since the Oct. 16 military takeover by Iraqi and Shia militia forces.

Meanwhile, gunmen on Wednesday killed a tribal leader who had participated in the war against the so-called Islamic State (IS) in Hawija, west of Kirkuk.

Although no one has claimed responsibility, a security source told Kurdistan 24 that gunmen aligned with IS opened fire on Anwar Danouk al-Obeidi in the village of Tal Khadija near Rashad, 36 kilometers southwest of Kirkuk.

Baghdad declared “final victory” against IS late last year, but stressed Iraqis to stay vigilant as sleeper cells and insurgencies remain a threat.

Former Governor of the Nineveh Province and head of the Nineveh Guards Atheel al-Nujaifi on Thursday warned the Iraqi government that remnants of the extremist group plan to carry out “massive attacks” in cities across the country.