Iraqi Army Assaults Kurdish Youth Over Flag Display in Khurmatu Amid Election Day
“The assault represents both physical violence and an attack on the Kurdistan flag, a marker of our national identity and pride. Under Iraq’s federal constitution, Kurdistan's flag is recognized, and no one should be subjected to force for peacefully displaying it,” said the Ministry of Peshmerga.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — On Tuesday, November 11, 2025, a Kurdish youth in the town of Khurmatu, south of Kirkuk, was reportedly attacked and beaten by Iraqi army soldiers after raising the Kurdistan flag while on his way to a polling center to vote in Iraq’s parliamentary elections.
The Kurdistan Region Ministry of Peshmerga condemned the incident, calling it a serious violation of human rights and an affront to Kurdish identity.
“The assault on this young voter represents both physical violence and an attack on the Kurdistan flag, a marker of our national identity and pride,” the ministry said in a statement.
“Under Iraq’s federal constitution and democratic framework, the Kurdistan Region's flag is recognized and no one should be subjected to force for peacefully displaying it.”
The statement also urged Iraqi authorities and joint military operations to immediately investigate the attack, hold the perpetrators accountable, and prevent future occurrences.
“Acts like these undermine public trust and threaten the democratic process, especially on election day,” it added.
Video footage obtained by Kurdistan24 shows the young man being confronted and beaten by a soldier of the Iraqi army near the Ibn Khaldun school in Khurmatu.
Iraqi Army Assaults Kurdish Youth Over Flag Display in Khurmatu Amid Election Day!
— Kurdistan 24 English (@K24English) November 11, 2025
“The assault represents both physical violence and an attack on the Kurdistan flag, a marker of our national identity and pride. Under Iraq’s federal constitution, Kurdistan's flag is recognized,… pic.twitter.com/QhcSrorL7m
Multiple Kurdish women in the town also reported harassment by Iraqi forces and affiliated militias after raising the flag.
Khurmatu sits on the administrative boundary between the Kurdistan Region and the rest of Iraq and is home to Kurds, Turkmens, and Arabs.
Historically, the town has been a flashpoint for ethnic and political tensions. Before the mid-1970s, Khurmatu was part of Kirkuk Governorate with a predominantly Kurdish population.
Following Arabization policies during Saddam Hussein’s era and the military operations of October 16, 2017, control shifted to Salahaddin Governorate, leaving local Kurds vulnerable to ongoing intimidation and harassment.
The incident is particularly significant as it occurs on election day, during heightened security deployments across disputed territories.
The display of national symbols, including flags, has long been a marker of ethnic identity and political assertion in contested areas. While election day is intended to strengthen democratic legitimacy, episodes like these expose the fragility of coexistence in mixed communities.
Security forces had mobilized heavily in Khurmatu to secure polling centers, yet the assault underscores the risks Kurdish voters face in disputed regions. Observers warn that such incidents could depress voter turnout and fuel longstanding grievances among Kurdish communities in the Kurdistan Region territories, outside the administrative control of the Kurdistan Region.
As Iraq continues its federal parliamentary elections, the attack in Khurmatu serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing tensions in multiethnic areas, where historical grievances and identity politics continue to intersect with contemporary electoral processes.
