Latest news with #SaidEffendi
Rudaw Net
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Iraqi army, Peshmerga launch joint anti-ISIS op in disputed areas
Also in Iraq PKK expected to remain in Shingal despite dissolution: Yazidi commander Push for unified Kurdish opposition bloc set back by key group's withdrawal Kurdish-directed 'Said Effendi' to make historic debut at Cannes Festival More than a decade on, 2,500 Yazidis still missing after ISIS attack A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi army launched a joint operation in the Qarachogh mountain area of Makhmour district in Nineveh province on Monday, following signs of Islamic State (ISIS) movement detected by thermal cameras, but found no militants during the search. Makhmour is among areas disputed by Erbil and Baghdad, and ISIS has previously exploited the security vacuum in the town's rugged terrain. 'The army and security forces in the area noticed suspicious nighttime movements through thermal cameras. Therefore, a joint operation was conducted today to follow up and search the area, but no ISIS militants were found, and the operation ended,' Mohammed Jassim Kakai, head of the security and defense committee in the Nineveh Provincial Council, told Rudaw. To bolster security and stability in the region, the Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi army carried out a joint operation in the foothills of Mount Qarachogh, according to a statement from the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs on Facebook. The search covered the plains and valleys to the south and north of the mountain. 'The aim of these operations is to search for and clear ISIS terrorist hideouts, so that the region's security and calm can be better maintained,' the ministry added. ISIS seized vast territories in Iraq in 2014 but was declared territorially defeated by the Iraqi army in 2017. Despite this, the group continues to threaten security in parts of the country through abductions, hit-and-run attacks, and bombings - especially in the disputed areas. The fight against ISIS marked a key moment of cooperation between the Peshmerga and the Iraqi army, which had historically been at odds. In recent years, both sides have formed joint brigades and launched coordinated operations to close security gaps in disputed territories claimed by both the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
Rudaw Net
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
PKK expected to remain in Shingal despite dissolution: Yazidi commander
Also in Iraq Push for unified Kurdish opposition bloc set back by key group's withdrawal Kurdish-directed 'Said Effendi' to make historic debut at Cannes Festival More than a decade on, 2,500 Yazidis still missing after ISIS attack Iraqi university to launch AI programs A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) is expected maintain bases in the Yazidi heartland of Shingal (Sinjar) in western Nineveh province, despite announcing its dissolution and the end of its armed struggle against Turkey, according to a Peshmerga commander in Shingal. 'Although the PKK has decided to dissolve itself and disarm, they still remain in their bases and headquarters in Shingal,' Ezidikhan Protection Forces commander Haider Shasho, whose forces are a Yazidi division within the Kurdistan Region's Peshmerga Ministry, told Rudaw on Monday. Earlier in the day, the PKK announced its dissolution and the end of its armed struggle against the Turkish state, marking what it described as a step toward a peaceful resolution to the decades-long conflict with Ankara. The announcement followed a party congress held from May 5 to 7 to consider the late February call from jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan to disarm, dissolve the group, and pursue a political struggle. In a statement, the congress declared that the PKK had 'completed its historical mission' by 'breaking the policy of denial and annihilation on our people and bringing the Kurdish issue to a point of solving it through democratic politics.' 'I don't believe they will leave their bases so early,' Shasho added. The Shingal Resistance Units (YBS), believed to be affiliated with the PKK, has remained in control of parts of the district since the defeat of the Islamic State (ISIS) a decade ago. The numerous armed groups in the area have been identified as one of the sources of continued insecurity that has prevented the return of thousands of Shingal's residents who fled ISIS in 2014. Baghdad and Erbil signed an agreement in 2020 to normalize the situation in Shingal, but the deal has yet to be implemented. Turkey considers the YBS an offshoot of the PKK and has targeted its positions in Shingal numerous times, killing dozens of its members, including top commanders. 'In this period when the political situation is stable, Shingal's security is stable, and there is no bombardment and fighting,' the Yazidi commander revealed. The PKK was founded in 1978 in response to the oppression of the Kurdish population in Turkey. It initially struggled for an independent Kurdistan but now calls for greater political and cultural rights within Turkey. Ankara and its Western allies consider the group a terrorist organization. Sirwan Abbas contributed to this report.
Rudaw Net
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Rudaw Net
Kurdish-directed ‘Said Effendi' to make historic debut at Cannes Festival
Also in Iraq More than a decade on, 2,500 Yazidis still missing after ISIS attack Iraqi university to launch AI programs Iraqi ministry says over 2,200 prisoners released under general amnesty law Iraq welcomes India-Pakistan ceasefire A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani on Sunday announced the selection of the 1956 film 'Said Effendi' to be featured in the prestigious Cannes Film Festival's classic section. The film, a landmark of Iraqi cinema, was directed by renowned Kurdish filmmaker and screenwriter Kameran Hosni. A statement from the prime minister's office noted that the al-Hasan Ibn al-Haytham Committee for Iraqi Visual Memory, operating under Sudani's office, declares the film's participation at the 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival. 'This historic selection - the first of its kind for Iraqi cinema - is the result of the Iraqi Cinematheque project, which seeks to revive Iraq's cinematic heritage and share it with the world,' the statement added. 'Said Effendi' is widely regarded as a cornerstone of Iraq's film history. Set in 1950s Baghdad, the social drama follows a humble and principled schoolteacher who, after moving to a new neighborhood with his family, encounters tensions and misunderstandings with his neighbors. The film explores themes of class, coexistence, and changing societal values in a rapidly modernizing Iraq. The film's inclusion in Cannes was made possible after its restoration by the French National Audiovisual Institute, in collaboration with the French Embassy in Iraq and the Cinémathèque Iraq project - a national initiative focused on digitizing, restoring, and preserving Iraqi cinema. 'Said Effendi is one of 104 Iraqi feature films, produced between the 1940s and early 2000s, that the Iraqi Cinematheque project aims to preserve and restore,' the statement noted. According to Hassan al-Sudani, an advisor to the Iraqi premier, the Baghdad government plans to expand the initiative beyond cinema to include restoration of Iraq's television and radio archives in upcoming projects.
