HRW: Conflict in disputed areas kills civilians

At least 51 civilians wounded and five dead in the aftermath of Kirkuk conflict, Human Rights Watch said Friday.

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) - Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Friday said that in the aftermath of Iraqi takeover of disputed territories, several civilians have been killed and injured.

Indiscriminate firings on October 16 killed at least five and injured 51, according to HRW.

"Iraqi forces in control of the town, Tuz Khurmatu, subsequently let civilians loot property unimpeded for at least a full day before taking action." the rights group said.

"Iraqi and Kurdistan Regional Government forces should take all feasible steps to minimize civilian casualties and prevent looting," the statement added.

HRW statement was released two days after Iraq accused Kurdish media including Kurdistan 24  of spreading "baseless" reports of civilian casualties and property loss.

On October 18, Iraq’s Joint Operations Command, the Iraqi military’s communications branch, issued a statement condemning coverage by two leading Kurdish outlets.

They “continue to mislead public opinion and accuse the security forces of baseless accusations,” the statement said.

The Command called on Iraq’s Communications and Media Commission to monitor the outlets and bring the legal action where their coverage has “threaten[ed] the civil peace.”

On Friday morning, the Shia Hashd al-Shaabi militia and the Iraqi Forces launched an attack on the Kurdish Peshmerga Forces in the town of Prde, also known as Altun Kupri, in the latest advance against the Kurdistan Region.

Kurdish officials have called on the international community to intervene, stressing that the Shia paramilitary groups were using US-provided weapons and military equipment and Iranian artillery against the people of the Kurdistan Region, causing nearly 100,000 people to flee their homes. 

The Peshmerga’s General Command decried Baghdad’s misuse of its more sophisticated and available weaponry, which was given to the Iraqi Forces with the aim to defeat the Islamic State (IS), “not the people of the Kurdistan Region.”