Two separate attacks by armed groups target Iraqi officer’s house, store in Kirkuk

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – Unknown gunmen on Saturday stormed and attacked the house of an Iraqi interior ministry official in Kirkuk, while another group of armed men stabbed two people in a separate incident, a source said on Sunday.

The security situation within the oil-rich Kirkuk Province has severely deteriorated following the Oct. 16 attack and takeover of the area by the Iraqi forces and Iranian-backed Shia Hashd al-Shaabi militias.

Unidentified armed men on Saturday opened fire on the house of the Inspector General of the Interior Ministry in Kirkuk, Colonel Arkan Hamad Latif. There were no casualties, a security source in Kirkuk told Kurdistan 24 on Sunday.

The Iraqi counter-terrorism forces later arrested the gunmen, he added.

The house of the officer is located in the Arab-majority Dumiz district, a southern suburb of Kirkuk.

The inspector later confirmed with Iraqi news outlets that three gunmen were involved in the attack and that an investigation has been launched.

The source also mentioned three more gunmen hit up a gaming store on Baghdad Road, in the heart of Kirkuk city.

The gunmen stabbed two people inside the shop before stealing money, cell phones, and other devices.

“The incident took place at night ... they stole a motorbike parked in front of the shop and ran away quickly,” one of the witnesses told Kurdistan 24 over the phone.

Security officials in Kirkuk have not yet issued any comments on the incident. They, however, had recently announced the arrest of the “biggest gang” of armed robbers in the province.

The head of the Kirkuk Provincial Council, Rebwar Talabani, has called on Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to hand over control of the security apparatus to the local police in a bid to stabilize the situation.

Iraq’s anti-terrorism forces are currently in charge of security in Kirkuk, one of the disputed territories between the Kurdistan Region and the Iraqi federal government.

Overnight attacks by unknown armed groups have been commonplace incidents over the past three months, notably since the Oct. 16 attack.

Oil-rich Kirkuk is a diverse province made up of Turkmen, Arabs, and Christians, with a Kurdish majority. The province was one of the disputed territories that also participated in the Sep. 25 independence vote.

Editing by Nadia Riva