Former Iraqi Turkmen official killed in Kirkuk

According to Kirkuk security sources, Ismail was killed by an improvised explosive device at his home.
The house of the Former Iraqi Turkmen official after the explosion, March 3, 2023. (Photo: Submitted to Kurdistan 24)
The house of the Former Iraqi Turkmen official after the explosion, March 3, 2023. (Photo: Submitted to Kurdistan 24)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – There are conflicting reports as to the killing of Ahmed Tahir Ismail, a former Iraqi Turkmen Front official, in Kirkuk today. 

According to Kirkuk security sources, Ismail was killed by an improvised explosive device at his home. On the other hand, the Turkmen National Movement party announced that Ismail was killed in an explosion in his car.

Relatives of Ismail confirm that the cause of his death was an improvised explosive device, but others suggest that he was killed by an explosion in the gas tank of his car. 

Police are still investigating the incident.

Turkmen are commonly recognized as Iraq's third largest ethnic group, behind Arabs and Kurds. 

Iraq's Turkmen live primarily in Kirkuk, a province claimed by both the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the federal government of Iraq. The diverse population comprises of Turkmen, Arabs, Christians, and a Kurdish majority.

Founded in 1995, the Iraqi Turkmen Front was formed to unite several Turkmen parties within the framework of Iraqi unity.

Due to the lack of current census data, however, the total number of Turkmen living in Iraq today is unclear. The last census conducted in the country was in 1987, more than 35 years ago.