Iraqi Army Detains Three Peshmerga Members at Khurmatu Checkpoint
Iraqi Army forces arrested three Peshmerga members from the 9th Brigade at a checkpoint in Khurmatu on Sunday. Officials cited "carrying weapons" as the reason, sparking constitutional disputes.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Elements of the Iraqi Army arrested three members of the Kurdistan Peshmerga forces on Sunday at a security checkpoint in the Saladdin Governorate, according to local officials. The detention, reportedly carried out on the grounds that the off-duty fighters were armed, has drawn attention to the operational coordination and legal frameworks governing the movement of authorized security forces within the Kurdistani territories outside the administrative control of the Kurdistan Regional Government.
Kawa Shekhani, the Advisor to the Governor of Saladdin, confirmed the incident in a statement to Kurdistan24 on Sunday.
According to Shekhani, the arrests took place earlier that day, identified in the report as January 11, 2025, at the Khidir Wali checkpoint. This security installation is located within the administrative borders of Khurmatu, an area where jurisdiction and security responsibilities have frequently been subjects of administrative focus.
The three individuals taken into custody were identified as members of the Peshmerga’s 9th Brigade.
Shekhani provided the specific identities of the detained personnel as Darbaz Mohammed, Juma Hama Abdulrahman, and Omar Jalal Abdulrahman.
The advisor noted that all three men are residents of the city of Erbil. At the time of the incident, the soldiers were reportedly returning from their official duties when they were stopped by Iraqi Army personnel manning the checkpoint.
In his comments to Kurdistan24 correspondent Hemin Delo, Shekhani clarified the circumstances surrounding the detention. He stated that the Iraqi Army used the pretext of "carrying weapons" to justify the arrests of the three Peshmerga members.
The advisor emphasized that the local administration has already initiated communication with the relevant authorities in the area to secure the release of the detainees. "We are in contact with the relevant parties of the area for their release," Shekhani said.
The detention of the 9th Brigade members underscores the complex legal and constitutional status of the Kurdistan Region’s Peshmerga forces within the federal framework of Iraq.
Article 121-5 of the Iraqi Constitution to underscore the legal legitimacy of the Peshmerga. The article explicitly states: “The regional government shall be responsible for all the administrative requirements of the region, particularly the establishment and organization of the internal security forces for the region such as police, security forces, and guards of the region.”
Peshmerga forces are a constitutionally recognized armed force responsible for the security of the Kurdistan Region as a distinct entity.
The arrest of uniformed personnel for carrying weapons—tools necessary for their constitutionally mandated duties—suggests a discrepancy between federal enforcement at checkpoints and the legal rights of regional forces.
As of late Sunday, the three men remained in custody, with negotiations for their release ongoing between the Saladdin governorate advisors and military officials in the Khurmatu area.
Kurdistan24 correspondent Hemin Delo contributed to this report.