Iran-backed Hashd al-Shaabi sends reinforcements to Kirkuk

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Iranian-backed Hashd al-Shaabi militias have sent military reinforcements to Kirkuk, a province disputed between Erbil and Baghdad.

A security source told Kurdistan 24 on Wednesday that Hashd al-Shaabi’s al-Badr militia group has deployed dozens of tanks and armored vehicles and hundreds of fighters to some areas of southern Kirkuk.

Hashd al-Shaabi’s reinforcements are composed of al-Badr’s 21st brigade which is led by Hadi al-Amiri, the head of the al-Fatih Coalition, the security source speaking on condition of anonymity told a Kurdistan 24 correspondent in Kirkuk.

The Iran-backed militias are expected to participate in a joint military operation with the Iraqi army and federal police against the Islamic State (IS) in some areas of Kirkuk Province.

On Monday, two military units of Iraqi federal police forces from Anbar, Tikrit, and Baghdad were transferred to Kirkuk, equipped with heavy weapons, tanks, and armored vehicles.

Iraqi forces have been deployed to Kirkuk to prepare for a large military operation in the south and west of the province to eliminate militants in the area who are posing a grave security threat to the region, an Iraqi military officer previously told Kurdistan 24.

Soon after the emergence of IS in 2014, the Kurdistan Region’s Peshmerga and other security forces protected Kirkuk from attacks by the extremist group.

However, following the Region’s controversial independence referendum held in September, Iraqi troops and Shia militias drove Kurdish forces from Kirkuk and other disputed territories.

Since then, the security situation has considerably deteriorated, with IS activities on the rise, including ambushes, kidnappings, suicide attacks, and execution-style killings.

Recently, different officials from Kirkuk have repeatedly expressed their concerns about the insecurity and the re-emergence of IS in the province, blaming Iraqi forces for failing to protect people from the militant group’s attacks.

After three years of fighting in the war-torn country, Iraq declared victory against IS last December. However, since then, the extremist group has resumed insurgency attacks, particularly in Kirkuk, Diyala, and Salahuddin.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany