Erbil records 1,000 fires in 2024 H1

Shafaq News/ Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region, has recorded approximately 1,000 fires in the past six months, according to the city's Civil Defense.

Shakhwan Saeed Saleh, the spokesperson for Erbil Civil Defense, reported that "928 fires occurred in Erbil during the past six months. Most of the affected locations lacked fire suppression systems and civil defense mechanisms."

The latest incident occurred at 11:30 AM on Monday, in Ghazali Street, an area known for cafeterias and fast-food outlets, destroying three establishments. Saleh noted, "This location did not meet safety standards and had no fire defense systems."

Saleh highlighted that "some of the fires were due to negligence and oversight." He added that "all firefighting teams have conducted thorough investigations of the causes post-fire, and compiled reports will be submitted to relevant authorities to tighten safety regulations."

Earlier on Monday, the Federal Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Interior of the Kurdistan Region announced the arrest of individuals involved in fire incidents in Erbil, Duhok, and Kirkuk.

Authorities revealed that the suspects were affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and had planned to target markets in Baghdad, the Ceyhan oil pipeline, and the power grid in Erbil.

In a joint press conference with Iraqi Interior Ministry officials, General Director of the Interior Ministry Heimen Mirani stated that the fires were intended to "undermine the economy and livelihoods of the people, inciting anger against the government."

He elaborated that those responsible for the fires had been recruited and trained by the PKK in Syria and Turkiye, with training sessions conducted in Qandil and Kifri.

"Among the suspects are Honer Fakhruddin Ahmed, an employee in Unit 70 (a Peshmerga unit affiliated with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan), and Mohammed Nejat Hassan, an officer in the Anti-Terrorism Unit in al-Sulaymaniyah, also affiliated with the Patriotic Union."

In a statement, Federal Interior Ministry spokesperson Brigadier General Moqdad Miri detailed the operation that led to the arrests, describing it as a "high-level coordinated effort between the federal and Regional interior ministries." Three individuals were detained and are currently under investigation by the Federal Intelligence Agency.

Miri revealed that two suspects were arrested in Kirkuk and another in Diyala. He recounted the meticulous process, overseen by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani and Interior Minister Abdul Amir Al-Shammari, that led to the breakthrough. "The fires were set using a delayed ignition method involving a substance hidden in candy boxes that ignited hours later, resulting in millions of dollars in damages."

"The suspects, during interrogation, confessed to planning further attacks, including targeting neighboring countries, the Ceyhan oil pipeline, markets in Baghdad's al-Sadr City and Shorja, and electrical infrastructure in Erbil. They were also found in possession of chemicals intended for setting large-scale fires in markets and malls."