Shafaq News– Kirkuk

Iraqi security forces investigated on Sunday the Qarabak forest in Kirkuk province following reports of widespread fires and tree clearing along the Zab River, a security source told Shafaq News.

According to the source, a joint committee formed by the Iraqi army, Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), and intelligence agencies examined the origin of the fires and identified those responsible. The committee also urged residents to cooperate by reporting any suspicious activity or attempts to damage trees, warning that violators would face strict consequences.

Shafaq News previously reported that organized illegal logging by “unknown groups” had targeted the Qarabak forests, felling dozens of trees and threatening one of Kirkuk’s main green belts.

Iraq faces accelerating desertification, with roughly 60% of the country’s land already rendered unusable due to drought and land degradation, according to the Green Iraq Observatory. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that forests cover only around 8,250 square kilometres —roughly 2% of Iraq’s total land area.

In the Kurdistan Region, forest cover has also declined by an estimated 30% or more over the past two decades, FAO data shows, driven in part by illegal logging, fires, and broader environmental pressures.

Read more: Point of no return? Iraq's fight to save its environment