‘Comprehensive security plan being prepared for New Year's Eve,’ says Erbil Governor

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Erbil Governor Omed Khoshnaw on Saturday told Kurdistan24 that a “comprehensive security plan” is being prepared for New Year's Eve to combat the trend of high crime rates on the holiday.

The plan is to involve security forces (known as the “Asayish”), police, civil defense, traffic police, and health teams. In some places, Zerevani Peshmerga forces will be utilized in the city's center, surrounding areas, and Ainkawa.

Earlier on Saturday, Khoshnaw announced in a presser that the number of tourists coming to Erbil is increasing. The governor stated that the Erbil Tourism Directorate has welcomed tourists since Dec. 25. 

He also praised the security officers and employees at the checkpoints for their efforts to improve the handling of tourist documents. There are plans to construct more halls at the checkpoints where tourists wait in transit.

Moreover, the governor has announced that hooliganism and sexual offenders during the New Year celebration “will be punished,” with offenders facing arrest.

Earlier on Saturday, Kurdistan24 reported that 200,000 tourists are expected to visit Erbil Province for New Year’s celebrations, with the province employing several thousand bilingual tour guides to accommodate travelers.

Read More: Kurdistan Region on pace for eight million tourists in 2023

Internationally, the New Year's holiday has had a recent history of attracting terrorist incidents, especially by ISIS.

On New Year's Day in Istanbul, Jan. 1, 2017, an ISIS-affiliated gunman went on a shooting rampage in a nightclub, killing 39 partygoers and employees. Yet there have also been many foiled terror plots in Europe and the US, with the most notable being the planned attacks by ISIS in December 2015.

Editing by Dastan Muwaffaq