Shafaq News– Kirkuk

On Saturday, dozens of residents in the predominantly Kurdish Rahima neighborhood of Kirkuk, northern Iraq, protested in solidarity with Kurds in Syria and rejected the ongoing military confrontations that killed at least 10 civilians and injured 100.

Protesters raised banners calling for an immediate halt to fighting in Kurdish neighborhoods (Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud in Aleppo), the withdrawal of forces from residential areas, and international protection for Kurdish civilians amid deteriorating humanitarian conditions.

Mohammed Rashid, one of the participants, told Shafaq News that Kurds in Kirkuk are closely following events and are calling for an immediate “end to violence” and for residential areas to be kept out of military conflicts.

Another protester, Rezkar Karkuki, said “the protest conveyed a humanitarian and national message rather than targeting any specific party.” He added that demonstrators are demanding an end to military operations inside residential neighborhoods, guarantees for civilian safety, and peaceful solutions to prevent further displacement and suffering.

Hundreds of residents in Al-Sulaymaniyah organized a similar action, condemning the shelling that targeted Kurdish areas in Syria.

Earlier today, Syria’s Interior Ministry announced the launch of a security operation in Sheikh Maqsoud, while the Kurdish Internal Security Forces (Asayish) reported heavy street fighting in parts of the neighborhood, accusing Syrian forces of shelling the area with artillery and deploying tanks.