KURDISTAN

Latest News

• HPG statement on Kirkuk 

  HPG stated that guerrilla forces have taken up positions and formed a line of defense in and around Kirkuk city center.
• Hashd al-Shaabi fully invades Kirkuk 

  The Iraqi army and Hashd al-Shaabi forces have taken control over the whole of Kirkuk.
• Hashd al-Shaabi invades 70% of Kirkuk 

  Hashd al-Shaabi and Iraqi army forces are attacking Kirkuk since last night. While peshmerga forces have completely withdrawn from Kirkuk, guerrillas remain in the city, 70 percent of which has been invaded by Hashd al-Shaabi.
• Latest in Kirkuk: Peshmerga abandoned city, guerrilla resisting 

  Hashd al-Shaabi and Iraqi army forces have been attacking Kirkuk since last night. Peshmerga forces have completely withdrawn from Kirkuk while the guerrilla resists in the city. Clashes are reportedly spreading in the vicinity of Hewlêr Road - Rahimava.
• Clashes between guerrillas and Hashd al-Shaabi in Kirkuk 

  Fierce clashes are taking place between Hashd al-Shaabi and HPG’s guerrillas forces that have formed a line of defense together with former peshmergas in Kirkuk.
• Turkish army crossing the border hit hard by guerrillas 

  17 Turkish soldiers lost their lives when an IED detonated during the Turkish army’s air landing of troops in the Xeregol area of Southern Kurdistan by the Çukurca direction in the morning hours.
• PUK’s Kosret Resûl: We will defend Kirkuk 

  Kosret Resûl stated that the Iraqi army and the Hashd al-Shaabi want to attack Kirkuk and added: “We do not want to lead a war, but we will defend ourselves.”
• People and peshmergas call Kirkuk’s people to guerrilla positions 

  People of Kirkuk and former peshmergas who joined HPG-YJA Star guerrillas in Kirkuk called upon the people to take their place in the defence of Kirkuk in the guerrillas’ positions.
• People, guerrilla and peshmerga shoulder to shoulder in Kirkuk 

  Thousands have flocked to the guerrilla defense positions formed against the Hashd al-Shaabi attack in Kirkuk. Peshmergas who haven’t left Kirkuk are also taking positions with the guerrilla.
• Latest in Kirkuk: All main roads closed 

  Guerrilla forces, volunteer fighters from the residents and peshmergas who haven’t left the city closed off main roads in the city in response to the attacks launched against Kirkuk.
• HPG issues a call to ‘defend Kirkuk’ 

  HPG and YJA Star guerrillas called on all Kurds to defend Kirkuk and said: “If you want to participate in the defence of Kirkuk, join us in our emplacement.”
• Clashes erupt in Kirkuk after attack by Iraqi forces 

  Iraqi army and forces loyal to Iraqi government attacked Kurdish positions and started moving on Kirkuk on early Monday morning.
• More people in Amed under threat of losing their homes 

  Sıdıka Alkan is 90 years old. She lives alone in Fiskaya neighbourhood of Amed. Her house is under the risk of demolition by the Turkish authorities as AKP government is pushing “urban progress” plans in the city.
• Kurds reject Abadi’s preconditions for negotiations 

  Kurdish leaders rejected Iraq’s prime minister Haidar Abadi’s preconditions for starting negotiations between Baghdad and Arbil.
• HPG: 10 Turkish soldiers killed in Dersim, Gever and Barzan 

  HPG Press Office reported that 10 soldiers of the Turkish army have been killed in the most recent guerrilla actions in Dersim, Gever and Barzan regions.
• Gerîla TV releases footage from an action in Şemdinli 

  Gerîla TV has released footage from an action against the Turkish army in the countryside of Şemdinli.
• Footage of guerrilla action in Çukurca released 

  Gerîla TV has released footage from an action against the Turkish army in Çukurca.
• KDP’s Qasim Shesho flees Shengal again 

  The referendum tensions between Southern Kurdistan and Baghdad is starting to reflect on Shengal. KDP’s Qasim Shesho reportedly fled the region after meeting with Hashd al-Shaabi. Shesho had fled Shengal once more after the 2014 ISIS attack.
• Êzidî commander calls for a referendum on autonomy in Shengal 

  Êzidî people are not against the independence of Kurdistan nor the referendum, but the process will fail if the will of Êzidî people is ignored, Dijwar Faqir, a commander of Shengal Resistance Units (YBŞ) said.
• Turkish court labels Kurdish music ‘terrorist propaganda' 

  A Turkish court convicted eight Kurds of “terrorist propaganda” and sentenced them to 20 months in prison for playing a Kurdish song in Kurdish New Year celebrations.
• Guerrillas hit Turkish soldiers in Barzan and Çukurca 

  Guerrillas have carried out an action on the forces participating in the current operation in the Barzan region. 2 assassin soldiers were killed in the action while in Çukurca, 4 soldiers were killed.
• Village guards called in for operation in Şırnak 

  Reports say many village guards were called in to the Şırnak 23rd Gendarmerie Border Division Command yesterday in the evening hours.
• Trustee has hot spring demolished for fear of the PKK 

  Van’s Erciş district governor and trustee for municipality had the famous hot spring Hasanabdal destroyed because "PKK fighters were hiding there".
• Family of Zelal Kartal: We are proud she pursued honour 

  The parents of Zelal Kartal (Têkoşîn Amed), who carried out a self-sacrificing action against the centre of Turkish special forces in Lice, said they were proud of their daughter because she pursued honour.
• Gerîla TV releases footage of an action in Hakkari 

  Footage of an action, in which guerrillas targeted the road construction works of the Turkish army in the countryside of Hakkari province, has been released.