Efforts to establish Kurdish PMF in Kirkuk and Saladin, backed by Badr Organization

Shafaq News / The formation of the "Kurdish Popular Mobilization Forces-P.M.F." in Kurdish-majority areas in Kirkuk and Saladin was revealed by local sources. They highlighted that the project has gained approval from leaders in the Shiite Coordination Framework.

Adham Jumaa, the initiator of the idea, informed Shafaq News Agency that the concept of establishing the Kurdish P.M.F. emerged in 2020 but did not succeed at that time due to various reasons. Nonetheless, a group of Kurds in Kirkuk is currently attempting to revive this project.

The primary focus of the Kurdish P.M.F. will be on the outskirts of Kirkuk, particularly in areas facing persistent hit-and-run attacks by ISIS remnants.

Jumaa emphasized the objectives of this mobilization, stating that it aims to create job opportunities for Kurdish youth and maintain a balance within the P.M.F. Institution. Since the P.M.F. already includes representation from Turkmens, Sunnis, Shiites, and other minority groups, the Kurdish population also seeks representation to protect their areas and residents from displacement.

Regarding the establishment process, Jumaa explained that they are actively pursuing approval from the P.M.F. Commission. They expect the procedures to be completed in the near future, partly due to the Kurdish rapprochement with the Coordination Framework.

Jumaa clarified that the Kurdish P.M.F. is not associated with any political party, stressing that the initiative comes from a group of Kurds who desire representation within the P.M.F. Authority.

He further asserted that the group in Kirkuk is unrelated to the Kurdish mobilization in Tuz Khurmatu. He suspects that the latter may be a political ploy, considering they have a candidate for the upcoming provincial council elections and have no connection to the Kurdish P.M.F. in Kirkuk.

Additionally, informed sources verified that the Kurdish mobilization in Tuz Khurmatu is linked to the Turkmen MP for the Badr Organization, Mahdi Taqi. The sources explained that a group of Kurds in the Tuz Khurmatu district, particularly from the Kurdish areas, is striving to establish a Kurdish mobilization in their region and establish their own office.

The motivation behind establishing the Tuz Khurmatu mobilization is the decline in services in their areas, which they attribute to the negligence of Kurdish representatives in the House of Representatives and the local government of Saladin. Thus, they intend to open an office for MP Mahdi Taqi in their areas to nominate a representative in the provincial council elections within the governorate.

Responding to this, one of the prominent Kurdish figures in Tuz Khurmatu, Muhammad Arif, refuted the claim of organizing a Kurdish mobilization. Instead, he clarified that their goal is to open a local office for MP Mahdi Taqi to receive basic services and have a representative in the Saladin Provincial Council.

Furthermore, a source in Tuz Khurmatu, who requested anonymity, told Shafaq News Agency, "The Kurds who joined the Shiite MP Mahdi Taqi want to establish a Kurdish mobilization, and some of them have registered their names and obtained some weapons and ammunition."

Our correspondent tried to contact MP Mahdi Taqi several times but did not receive a response.

It is noteworthy that on 16/10/2018, the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service arrested Adham Jumaa, due to his call for civil disobedience in Kirkuk during a press conference held on 14/10/2018, two days before the first anniversary of the federal forces' control of Kirkuk on 18/10/2017 following the Kurdish referendum.

At the time, Jumaa oversaw a group of 70 men known as the "Kurdish Mobilization Forces."

In 2020, he reappeared and identified himself as the leader of 150 individuals who would be trained and deployed inside the borders of Kurdish areas. He claimed to be the commander of the Kurdish P.M.F. in Kirkuk at the time and stated that the mission of these forces was to protect Kurdish areas and villages in Kirkuk.

The authorities in the Kurdistan Region were quick to announce that they did not recognize this "militia," confirming in a statement from the Regional Ministry of Interior that they had communicated with the P.M.F. Authority, and the latter denied knowledge of this formation and promised to follow up on the matter.