Shia militias claim 200 Kurdish families have returned to Khurmatu

The Iranian-backed Hashd al-Shaabi on Thursday announced the return of 200 Kurdish families to Tuz Khurmatu (Khurmatu).

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – The Iranian-backed Hashd al-Shaabi on Thursday announced the return of 200 Kurdish families to Tuz Khurmatu (Khurmatu) after the deployment of an elite force from the Iraqi Ministry of Interior.

According to a statement on the Hashd al-Shaabi’s website, also known as the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), at least 200 Kurdish families have returned to their homes since the placement of an elite security force by the Iraqi government to the district of Khurmatu.

Earlier this week, Iraqi President Fuad Masum told a news conference that the situation in Khurmatu was “moving toward stability” after the deployment of the new security forces in the town.

Meanwhile, a senior PMF leader, Abu Reza al-Najjar, said the “atmosphere was appropriate” for the return of displaced persons to Khurmatu, confirming the formation of a committee “to create the conditions for the return of those who fled the city after October.”

The security situation in the area has significantly deteriorated since the PMF took control of the disputed city on Oct. 16, home to a mix of Kurds, Turkmens, and Arabs.

Over 180,000 people, mainly Kurdish residents, fled to the Kurdistan Region after they were forced from their homes and had their property burned and looted.

The Iranian-backed militias attacked Khurmatu, and other disputed areas including Kirkuk, with the help of the Iraqi army in response to the Region’s Sep. 25 independence referendum.

Official sources and humanitarian organizations, including Amnesty International, reported human rights abuses targeted against the Kurdish and non-Arab components of Kirkuk and Khurmatu.