Shafaq News- Erbil

Ten lawyers from Erbil volunteered to represent the families of two Kurdish teenagers killed in Altun Kupri, Kirkuk province, and to follow investigations into their deaths, according to a statement issued on Wednesday by civil society organizations and political representatives in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI).

Iraq’s Security Media Cell reported last week that security forces clashed with three ISIS militants north of Kirkuk, killing two and wounding and arresting a third.

Two Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) personnel were wounded, and two civilians were killed during the incident, according to Shafaq News sources.

The lawyers will travel from Erbil, the KRI’s capital, to the Iraqi province to obtain legal authorization from the victims’ families and represent them before military courts, holding Iraqi military forces responsible for the teenagers’ deaths.

The groups called on the Iraqi prime minister’s office to ensure that the investigative committee already ordered by the premier conducts a thorough, impartial, and professional inquiry into the circumstances of the killings.

“Failure to pursue fair and transparent legal proceedings,” they cautioned, “could heighten tensions and fuel anger among Kirkuk residents, particularly its ethnic communities.”

Read more: Discover Iraq: Kirkuk, a city of oil, culture, and conflict