Election candidate guards kill two police in Iraq’s Kirkuk
Shafaq News – Baghdad
Two police officers were killed in Kirkuk after members of a parliamentary candidate’s security team opened fire during a confrontation, the Iraqi Ministry of Interior reported on Tuesday.
In a statement, the ministry said the incident occurred around 2:00 a.m. near a campaign office when a dispute escalated into gunfire, also wounding two civilians who were taken to the hospital.
Security forces arrested 14 suspects at the scene, referred them to judicial authorities, and restored order with reinforcements from the Kirkuk Police Command.
No details were released about the candidate or the circumstances leading to the clash.
Read more: Kirkuk’s ballot test: Two decades of unresolved promises
The shooting took place just hours before Iraq’s general parliamentary election. In Kirkuk—a diverse province home to Kurds, Arabs, Turkmen, and other minorities—252 candidates, including 73 women, are vying for 13 seats, including one Christian quota seat and three reserved for women.
According to the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), 958,141 voters are registered in the province. Sunday’s special vote saw 56,000 security personnel cast ballots, while Tuesday's general vote is being conducted across 333 polling centers and 1,733 stations, supported by 15 media centers for local and international coverage.
Read more: Ballots and borders: Kirkuk tests Iraq’s fragile unity
