Iraqi PM to visit Kirkuk amidst recent tensions
Shafaq News / A senior security source in Kirkuk revealed on Friday that Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Mohammed Shia Al Sudani, is scheduled to visit the governorate tomorrow, Saturday, to discuss the recent events in Kirkuk and their security and political repercussions, as well as to prepare plans for maintaining peaceful coexistence and creating an atmosphere conducive to local elections.
The source stated that Al Sudani will meet with local leaders and political forces from all components to bridge differences regarding the recent crisis, prevent its recurrence in the city, and review security plans to maintain social stability.
The source also confirmed a heavy deployment of security formations, accompanied by military vehicles, in Kirkuk neighborhoods and areas in anticipation of any emergencies.
On Thursday, Chief of Staff of the Army, Lieutenant General Abdul Amir Yarallah, along with Ground Forces Commander, Lieutenant General Qasim Al-Mohammedi, arrived in Kirkuk to oversee the security situation.
A few days ago, dozens of protesters supporting "Arab and Turkmen" political factions in Kirkuk blocked the main road connecting the governorate to Erbil in protest against the Kurdistan Democratic Party's (KDP) intentions to reopen its offices in Kirkuk, under the political agreement reached with the State Administration Coalition, which comprises the political forces that make up the current federal government under the leadership of Al Sudani.
On Saturday evening, Kirkuk witnessed Kurdish protesters in areas predominantly inhabited by Kurds demanding the reopening of the road and the end of sit-ins in front of those offices. However, these demands were met with gunfire, resulting in casualties and injuries.
Iraqi security authorities imposed a curfew in Kirkuk in light of the tensions accompanying the protests in Kurdish areas.
It is noteworthy that the KDP, led by Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani, had evacuated its party headquarters and institutions in Kirkuk following the military operation launched by the federal government in the disputed areas between Erbil and Baghdad after the independence referendum held by the Kurdistan Region in September 2017, which led to the withdrawal of Peshmerga and Asayish forces from those areas.
