Iraqi counter-terrorism forces hit by rocket attack in Kirkuk

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – Unknown gunmen launched a rocket attack on an Iraqi military headquarters in a northern suburb of Kirkuk Province on Wednesday, according to local security forces.

A source told Kurdistan 24 that a group of armed men fired mortars at a building repurposed as a headquarters for the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Forces in the Kurdish district of Shoraw, north of Kirkuk. There were no casualties reported.

Another source claimed the Iraqi military had imposed security measures in the town and launched a city-wide crackdown to track down the unidentified attackers.

The same forces were previously targeted in different parts of Kirkuk, the latest incident being an RPG-7 attack on its headquarters in the neighborhood of Almas last week.

In a related incident, witnesses told Kurdistan 24 a group of armed men had also opened fire on an Iraqi forces patrol in the area of Ras Demiz before fleeing the scene. The attackers had targeted a convoy heading to the south of Kirkuk.

The same forces have experienced similar attacks in other areas of Kirkuk. It is unclear who is behind the violence, with security in Kirkuk being a growing concern since the Oct. 16 assault and takeover of the disputed area by Iraqi forces and Iranian-backed Shia Hashd al-Shaabi militias.

Earlier this week, the Hashd al-Shaabi militias indiscriminately shelled villages in Tuz Khurmatu (Khurmatu) in southern Kirkuk Province, causing fear and panic among the residents.

Kirkuk is an oil-rich province located in the south of the Kurdistan Region and north of Iraq. It is a multi-ethnic region with a diverse religious background made up of Kurds, Turkmen, Arabs, and Christians. Kurds account for the majority of the population.

Since mid-2014, most parts of the province have been under the protection of the Kurdish Peshmerga forces after the Iraqi army collapsed and failed to defend the area against the Islamic State (IS).

The Oct. 16 attack forced 180,000 people, mostly Kurds, to flee from Kirkuk and other disputed territories controlled by Iraqi forces and the Shia militias to areas in the Kurdistan Region.

The Iraqi assault came in response to Kurdistan’s independence referendum, held in September, which won overwhelming support in the Region for secession.

The Iraqi government imposed a series of punitive measures against the Kurdistan Region following the referendum. Baghdad shut down international flights to the Region’s airports and seeks to control oil imports and border crossings to Kurdistan.

Despite repeated calls from world leaders and international aid organizations, the Iraqi government has refused to engage in dialogue with Kurdistan.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany