Iranian and Hezbollah Militias Fight against the Kurds of Iraq
Dalshad Abdullah and Manaf al Obeidi and Hamza Mustapha/Asharq Al Awsat/April 25/16/
Kirkuk- Yesterday evening fierce clashes fired up once again across Tuz Khormato, the central city located in the Saladin Province, Iraq. The multi-ethnic city, comprising both Kurds and Turkmen, is overwhelmed with militias. The rounds of fire exchanged last evening were between the Shi’ite Turkmen Popular Mobilization Forces and armed Kurdish Peshmerga Forces.
Kurdish sources told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that Iranian soldiers and militants belonging to the Lebanon-based Hezbollah had been a part of the recent battles, fighting alongside the Mobilization Forces.
During the first hours of battle, over 25 combatants belonging to the Turkmens’ side were reported dead. On its behalf, the Turkmen party accused groups of militants coming from beyond borders of instigating dispute among the people of Tuz Khormato. In an announcement, Turkmens called out the voice of reason found in everyone to rule, so that civilians would not have to pay the price of an armed conflict.
At the same day, an agreement was hurled among conflicting factions to halt all clashes, which were sparked after a bomb set off at a Kurdish official’s home killing and wounding over 13 belonging to both sides in addition to a Peshmerga brigadier.
As for the political state-of-affairs, the Sadrist movement leader Muqtada al-Sadr put off the million-people protest he had called for formerly. Despite all the threats of how spine-shuddering the demonstration would be this Monday and Tuesday, the Sadrist Leader still called it off.
As for the Iraqi Parliament, the governmental institute is still comprehensively crippled as lawmakers stick to their strike and refuse to acknowledge the legitimacy of the Parliamentary Spokesman Salim al-Jabouri. However, al-Jabouri has been persistently convening with political players, in hopes of holding a complete –including all side- parliamentary session on Tuesday.
The humanitarian crisis was relatively relieved, as Saudi aid trucks arrived to the Anbar governorate en route from the Iraqi Kurdistan. Citizens of Ramadi, the governorate’s capital, and its vicinity residents expressed considerable relief compared to what they have been experiencing.
Council Spokesman of Anbar, Eid Ammash, in a statement to Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper revealed that there are Gulf groups and companies which had expressed their desire to contribute to the reconstruction of the near-leveled governorate after it has finally been freed from ISIS. The companies had given practical proposals to the process which is in ratio to the percentage of damage impact on each area.
Ammash added that public services, such as water and power circulation are almost none existing, and that the suffering of people returning home has worsened, which could only send a cry out for a hurried launch of reconstruction.