Several Iraqi soldiers injured in Shingal clashes: Lawmaker
Iraqi FM deplores Israeli attacks on Gaza, confirms clear 'Zionist' threats to Iraq
Kurdish farmer released on bail after dispute with Iraqi soldier
PM Sudani, Turkish energy minister discuss Kurdish oil exports
Iraqi PM, US Defense Secretary discuss counter-ISIS cooperation
A+ A-
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - At least four members of the Iraqi army were injured in an altercation with a group of armed men, believed to be affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), in Shingal district on Tuesday, according to lawmaker Sherwan Dubardani.
The Kurdish parliamentarian, who represents the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in Nineveh, told Rudaw that the clashes occurred after the army pursued a stolen vehicle. A group of armed men, linked to the Shingal Protection Units (YBS), an offshoot of the PKK, attacked the army in an attempt to defend the individual accused of stealing the vehicle, before fleeing the scene.
Dubardani also stated that the person accused of stealing the vehicle has been arrested.
Shingal is home to several armed groups, including those affiliated with the PKK, the Iraqi government, and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). The ongoing security issues and lack of basic services have prevented many displaced people from returning to their homes.
Luqman Sultan, head of Shingal Hospital, told Rudaw that five members of the Iraqi army were injured in the incident.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Shafaq News
7 hours ago
- Shafaq News
Iraq's cabinet greenlights Kurdistan salary payments
Shafaq News – Baghdad On Tuesday, Iraq's cabinet approved funding for public sector salaries in the Kurdistan Region, linking June payments to the transfer of revenues and oil deliveries mandated under the 2023-2025 Federal Budget Law. A statement from Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's media office noted that the decision extends an earlier measure authorizing payroll funding for the Region. Committees overseeing the process are required to submit reports within a week, while a technical team calculates the federal treasury's share of the Region's non-oil revenues, ensuring accountability in the transfer process. Instead of transferring a fixed amount as in previous months, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) will now remit its share of non-oil revenues directly to the federal treasury. The Ministry of Finance and the Federal Board of Supreme Audit will monitor the process. The cabinet also instructed the KRG to ensure that oil companies operating in the Region deliver crude in line with the Federal Budget Law, ''reinforcing the link between revenue transfers and monthly allocations.'' Under this law, the KRG is required to provide both oil and non-oil revenues to the federal treasury in exchange for monthly payments. In practice, salary transfers
Iraqi News
10 hours ago
- Iraqi News
Public sector salaries a massive fiscal burden as 10.5 million Iraqis depend on state
Baghdad ( – More than 10.5 million Iraqi citizens, representing approximately a quarter of the nation's total population, receive a monthly salary from the state, according to a new report from the Parliamentary Finance Committee. This dependency on state payrolls places a massive fiscal burden on the government, raising concerns about long-term economic sustainability. Moein Al-Kazemi, a member of the committee, stated that the Ministry of Finance secures 8 trillion Iraqi Dinars monthly to cover the salaries of government employees, retirees, and social protection network beneficiaries. The report provided a detailed breakdown of the total beneficiaries: Over 4.2 million are government employees. More than 3 million are retirees. Over 3 million are beneficiaries of the social protection network. This ratio of state-dependent citizens is among the highest in the world, far exceeding that of many other countries. For comparison, a significantly smaller percentage of the population is employed in the public sector in countries like the United States (around 13-15%) and the United Kingdom (around 22-23%), while in many developing countries, the percentage is often below 10%. The sheer size of Iraq's public payroll is an outsized burden on the national budget, diverting critical funds from much-needed capital investments in infrastructure, healthcare, and education. Al-Kazemi confirmed that these payments are fully secured until the end of the current year, backed by the country's monthly oil revenues, which exceed $6 billion. However, this reliance on a single, volatile source of income to sustain such a massive public payroll leaves the Iraqi economy highly vulnerable to fluctuations in global oil prices and external shocks.
Shafaq News
10 hours ago
- Shafaq News
Lebanese politicians seek legal action against Hezbollah's Secretary-General
Shafaq News – Beirut A group of Lebanese lawmakers and political figures announced on Tuesday their intention to file a legal complaint against Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem, accusing him of inciting 'sectarian strife and threatening civil war.' The group, representing the "Sovereign Front" — a group of US and Saudi allied parties and politicians — stated in a joint declaration that Qassem's recent statements come at a 'critical moment in Lebanon's history,' as efforts are underway to curb the proliferation of illegal weapons allegedly backed by Iran. The statement warned that remaining silent in the face of what it described as 'the actions of Qassem and his armed organization' could endanger Lebanese citizens. Qassem, in his latest speech, accused the Lebanese government of 'carrying out the American-Israeli agenda to dismantle the resistance, even at the cost of civil war and internal strife.' He added that Hezbollah would not surrender its weapons 'as long as occupation and aggression persist,' placing full responsibility for any potential conflict on the government. 'We do not seek strife,' he said, 'but others are working toward it.'
