KRG denies alleged media reports of abuses in liberated areas
the KRG will investigate the claims and will take the comments mentioned in the report seriously.
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) invested the allegations of abuse in the areas under the control of Peshmerga forces and denied them.
Head of the KRG's High Committee to Evaluate and Respond to International Reports (HCERIR) Dindar Zebari, said in a statement that the KRG takes report of rights violation seriously and investigates them.
On October 10, Reuters released a report claiming that following the liberation of Zumar areas from the control of the Islamic State (IS), the homes and properties belonging to Arabs in the Peshmerga-controlled areas in Zumar, northern Mosul, have been destroyed or seized by Kurds.
The KRG official added that upon orders from the Council of Ministers a committee to investigate the allegations was formed, stating that the committee consists of representatives of HCERIR, Kurdistan Region Presidency, Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Peshmerga.
Regarding allegations by the Reuters, Zebari states that the destruction of houses in Zumar were due to three reasons. “First, IS damaged houses when they took control of the area. Secondly, the coalition airstrikes annihilated buildings and third, further property damage was done when Peshmerga ground troops fought to expel IS.”
Most of the houses were destroyed by IS extremists, and many areas in Zumar were planted with explosives and bombs, the statement added.
“One hundred seventy-three tons of explosives and bombs were dismantled by Peshmerga forces some of which were detonated on Peshmerga forces, martyring 23 fighters,” the report read.
“Three hundred and thirty houses belonging to the government employees, police and security members and Kurdish political parties were destroyed by IS,” the statement concluded.
Zebari explained that allegations of 'systematic efforts to punish the residents of the Zumar area or preventing them from returning' is simply untrue.
On March 17, the Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani issued instructions for Peshmerga forces and other security forces to protect civilian lives and properties during the military operations against IS and formed a committee to investigate the alleged violence in the newly liberated areas.
Editing by Ava Homa