Iraqi MP: Large parts of Kirkuk could fall under IS control
On Tuesday, a roadside bomb blast killed two Iraqi soldiers and wounded an officer near Daquq, southern Kirkuk Province.
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – A Kurdish MP from the Iraqi Parliament on Tuesday warned of the reemergence of the Islamic State (IS) in large parts of Kirkuk Province.
Shakhawan Abdullah, an Iraqi MP from Kirkuk, highlighted the security situation in the oil-rich province of Kirkuk as incidents of abductions, murders, and armed attacks have increased since the Iraqi army and Iranian-backed Shia Hashd al-Shaabi militias’ Oct. 16 takeover from Peshmerga.
Speaking to al-Sumeriya news, Abdullah warned about the collapse of large areas in the province to IS extremists as reports of daily kidnappings, killings, and armed attacks increase.
The Kurdish MP emphasized the need for Iraqi forces to collaborate with Peshmerga “to stabilize the security situation, and fill the security vacuum created following the incidents on Oct. 16.”
He also revealed that on Monday three Kurdish citizens were kidnapped in the al-Bu Mohammed village in the town of Daquq, southern Kirkuk.
“If the Peshmerga are not permitted to return to the province to jointly control the security situation with other Iraqi security forces there might be large areas in the province, including Hawija and Daquq, that will fall into the hands of IS terrorists and other extremist groups,” the MP stated.
Abdullah called on the Iraqi government to make “a rational decision,” and rely on Peshmerga forces in securing the areas and reestablishing a cooperation similar to 2014.
Contrary to Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s “final victory” announcement in early December signaling the end of IS in the country, the extremist group’s sleeper cells continue to launch attacks and claim lives.
On Tuesday, a roadside bomb blast killed two Iraqi soldiers and wounded an officer near Daquq, southern Kirkuk Province.
Editing by Karzan Sulaivany