logo
Duhok arrests suspect in Akitu festival attack

Duhok arrests suspect in Akitu festival attack

Shafaq News01-04-2025

Shafaq News/ On Tuesday, security forces in Duhok province of Kurdistan have arrested the suspect behind the attack on Akitu festival celebrants, a security source confirmed.
The suspect, who confessed to being affiliated with a terrorist organization, is currently under investigation.
Earlier today, an assailant attacked festival attendees with an axe, injuring three people; a young man from Qaraqosh (Hamdaniya district) who suffered a skull fracture, an elderly woman from Alqosh, and a Peshmerga soldier assigned to protect the event. All three were rushed to the hospital, with the young man's condition described as critical.
The assault occurred as Duhok hosted a large-scale celebration of Akitu, the Babylonian-Assyrian New Year.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Israeli forces pull back after crossing into southern Lebanon
Israeli forces pull back after crossing into southern Lebanon

Shafaq News

time4 hours ago

  • Shafaq News

Israeli forces pull back after crossing into southern Lebanon

Shafaq News/ An Israeli military unit withdrew on Wednesday morning after briefly crossing into the southern Lebanese village of Blida, according to local media reports. The incursion began when Israeli bulldozers breached the Blue Line— a 120-kilometer boundary set by the UN in 2000 following Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon—and entered the town. Unauthorized crossings by either side constitute a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701. The bulldozers reportedly began digging a large trench, prompting a state of alert among nearby Lebanese units. They later retreated from the area without reported clashes. In a separate overnight incident, another Israeli unit—accompanied by two armored vehicles and a military bulldozer—breached the technical fence east of Meiss El Jabal village, southern Lebanon, and advanced briefly before pulling back. The developments come amid ongoing Israeli aerial attacks across the country. A drone strike on Tuesday killed two people and wounded a third in Shebaa town, southeastern Lebanon. In recent days, Israel has also conducted air raids on Beirut 's southern suburbs—an area considered a Hezbollah stronghold—drawing condemnation from Lebanese officials, who labeled the strikes a serious breach of the existing ceasefire and warned of the growing risk of broader confrontation.

Russian drone assault on Kharkiv: 50+ casualties as Ukraine fends off attack
Russian drone assault on Kharkiv: 50+ casualties as Ukraine fends off attack

Shafaq News

time4 hours ago

  • Shafaq News

Russian drone assault on Kharkiv: 50+ casualties as Ukraine fends off attack

Shafaq News/ A Russian drone attack on Kharkiv overnight resulted in over 50 casualties, as Ukraine's military repelled one of the largest coordinated aerial assaults in weeks. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported that the nine-minute attack, involving 17 drones, killed at least two people and wounded 54 others—including five children. 'There are direct hits on multi-storey buildings, private homes, playgrounds, enterprises, and public transport,' Terekhov wrote on Telegram. 'Apartments are burning, roofs are destroyed, cars are burnt, windows are broken.' The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine later confirmed that Tuesday's attacks were part of a wave of 220 combat engagements in 24 hours, with Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Odesa regions bearing the brunt. Ukrainian forces reported that 1,120 Russian casualties occurred, and dozens of assets were destroyed or damaged, including tanks, armored vehicles, artillery systems, drones, and missiles. The attack came after Russia's two largest assaults on Ukraine this week, part of intensified bombardments that Moscow claimed were retaliatory for Kyiv's recent strikes in Russia. Both sides deny targeting civilians in the conflict, which Russia began in February 2022. However, thousands of civilians have been killed, the majority of them Ukrainian.

Iraqi army takes full control of ISIS stronghold in Kirkuk
Iraqi army takes full control of ISIS stronghold in Kirkuk

Shafaq News

time20 hours ago

  • Shafaq News

Iraqi army takes full control of ISIS stronghold in Kirkuk

Shafaq News/ The Iraqi army completed the clearing and excavation operation in the Zghaytun Valley in Kirkuk province, a former hotspot for terrorist activity, Major General Muaz Badai announced on Tuesday. Badai told Shafaq News that the valley is now under full Iraqi Army control after two decades of 'exploitation by extremist groups,' adding that the operation is part of ongoing efforts to dismantle terrorist networks and secure areas previously used as safe havens. The army finished dredging and reshaping the valley's watercourse into a real channel while eliminating reed-covered areas that had served as a hideout for militants, he indicated, adding that engineering teams also constructed fortified outposts. He also noted that the Iraqi Army continues its operations to eliminate terrorism and secure liberated areas by carrying out targeted military missions and dismantling terrorist infrastructure. Following the group's territorial defeat in 2017, remnants of the Islamic State (ISIS) have maintained a presence in rural and mountainous areas of Kirkuk province, particularly in the rugged terrain of the Hamrin Mountains and valleys such as Wadi al-Shay and Wadi Zghayton. These areas have served as logistical corridors and hideouts for ISIS cells, enabling them to regroup and launch hit-and-run attacks, ambushes, and IED operations targeting security forces and civilians.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store