Latest news with #anti-ISIS
Rudaw Net
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Diyala council seeks to block Qaratapa district upgrade
Also in Iraq Iraq's ruling coalition condemns drone attacks on Kurdistan Region Iraqi parliament fails to discuss drone attacks on Kurdistan Region Iraq's top court rejects lawsuits against Kurdish parliament PM Sudani welcomes new commander of anti-ISIS coalition A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Diyala Provincial Council has requested the Iraqi planning ministry to suspend the controversial elevation of Qaratapa into a district, a council member said on Tuesday, with plans for the subdistrict's elevation having drawn the ire of Kurds in the disputed province. The Iraqi government in early July approved changes in Diyala province that would see the merging of the predominantly-Kurdish subdistricts of Qaratapa, Jabara, Koks, and Kulajo into a new Qaratapa district – a decision deemed by Kurds as a renewed effort to alter the demographics of the disputed province and seize territory from Kurdish control. Aws al-Mahdawi, the sole Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) member from the council, told Rudaw that Qaratapa does not meet the criteria to become a district, and that the council's head has officially requested the planning ministry to suspend the procedures. 'Those who did this were doing it for election propaganda, with some failed parliamentarians behind the move,' Mahdawi said, adding that a committee will be formed to investigate the matter. The council presented several factors, explaining that Qaratapa's population is below that required to promote a subdistrict and that the area falls within the framework of Article 140 and should not tampered with. Additionally, Koks subdistrict is under the control of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and not Diyala province, which is under federal control. As such, Mahdawi stressed that its inclusion in the plan is 'illegal.' Sherko Mirwais, a PUK leadership official and head of the party's Khanaqin office, in early July called the changes a 'threat to all of Kurdistan and the future of Kurds in Kurdish areas outside the Kurdistan Region's administration.' Following the fall of the Baath regime in 2003, Iraq began a policy of de-Arabization under Article 140 of the constitution, aiming to reverse the demographic changes imposed by former dictator Saddam Hussein. The failure to fully implement it, however, has been cited as one of the main reasons for the continued attempts at demographic change in the disputed territories. Nahro Mohammed contributed to this report.
Rudaw Net
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Iraq's ruling coalition condemns drone attacks on Kurdistan Region
Also in Iraq Iraqi parliament fails to discuss drone attacks on Kurdistan Region Iraq's top court rejects lawsuits against Kurdish parliament PM Sudani welcomes new commander of anti-ISIS coalition Iraq cannot control militias attacking Kurdistan Region, says MP A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq's ruling Coordination Framework coalition on Monday condemned the recent drone attacks on Kurdistan Region's oil infrastructure, calling on Baghdad to take a firm stance in this regard. 'The Coordination Framework condemned the ongoing bombardment targeting oil companies in the Kurdistan Region, as it represents a direct threat to national wealth, public interests, a blow to the investment environment, and a blatant violation of stability. It calls on the government to take a firm stance to uncover who is behind these attacks and prevent their recurrence,' read a statement from the coalition following a periodic meeting. Since early July, nearly 20 drone attacks have hit the Kurdistan Region, mostly targeting oil fields and causing significant financial losses. No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks and there have been no new attacks since Erbil and Baghdad reached a new agreement on finances and oil exports on Thursday. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has directly accused Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) of being behind the drone attacks - a claim denied by Baghdad. The Iraqi government has condemned the attacks but has taken no steps to stop them. The federal parliament was set to discuss the drone attacks on the Region on Monday but failed after almost all Kurdish lawmakers boycotted the session for unknown reasons. The Kurdistan Region's Presidency, Council of Ministers, and Ministry of Natural Resources have all strongly condemned the attacks, describing them as attempts to cripple the Region's vital oil infrastructure. They called on the federal government to hold the perpetrators to account. The international community has also condemned the attacks.
Rudaw Net
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Iraqi parliament fails to discuss drone attacks on Kurdistan Region
Also in Iraq Iraq's top court rejects lawsuits against Kurdish parliament PM Sudani welcomes new commander of anti-ISIS coalition Iraq cannot control militias attacking Kurdistan Region, says MP Iraq records 16 new cases of Crimean-Congo fever A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq's parliament wrapped up a session Monday without addressing recent drone strikes on Kurdistan Region oil infrastructure, after Kurdish factions boycotted the session for unknown reasons, sources told Rudaw. The session's agenda included two main topics: the deadly fire at a shopping mall in Iraq's Kut and drone attacks targeting the Kurdistan Region's oil and energy infrastructure. The parliament said in a statement only the former topic was discussed without elaborating. Lawmakers from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) boycotted the session. Only three Kurdish parliamentarians attended it, according to Soran Omar from the Islamist Kurdistan Justice Group (Komal). Two of them left the session before it ended. 'The first item was discussed, but because Kurdish parliamentarians did not participate, I requested Muhsin al-Mandalawi, Deputy Speaker of Parliament who was chairing the session, to remove the drone attacks item from the session agenda. He removed it and it was not discussed,' Omar told Rudaw. The first agenda item was a massive fire late Wednesday at a newly opened shopping mall in Kut, the capital of Wasit province, which killed at least 77 people. Most victims died from smoke inhalation, and the incident sparked public outrage over the lack of emergency exits and lax safety standards. According to Omar, Mandalawi expressed his surprise at the absence of Kurdish lawmakers, saying, 'They themselves had requested the session, yet now they have not participated in the session.' Dara Sekaniani, a Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) lawmaker and member of the Iraqi parliament's legal committee, said he left after it became clear the drone strikes would not be discussed. Showan Kalari and Sherwan Dubardani, KDP lawmakers, later told Rudaw they were instructed by party leadership not to attend, without knowing the reason. 'We have no information, they just said not to participate and we did not participate,' they said. PUK lawmaker Srwa Mohammed also confirmed her party's absence but did not provide further details. Omar criticized the Region's ruling parties for not participating, especially since the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has directly accused Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) of being behind the drone attacks - a claim denied by Baghdad. Omar said that since the interior ministry has made the accusation, the Region's ruling parties - the KDP and the PUK - should have attended the session and voiced their concerns. Since early July, nearly 20 drone attacks have hit the Kurdistan Region, mostly targeting oil fields and causing significant financial losses. No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks and there have been no new attacks since Erbil and Baghdad reached a new agreement on finances and oil exports on Thursday. The map shows the approximate locations of drone attacks on the Kurdistan Region recorded by Rudaw English between July 1-17. Iraq's parliament on Friday launched an investigation into recent drone attacks. 'Next week we, as the Security and Defense Committee, will have a visit to learn the details of the incident and who is behind this incident,' Mohammed Rasul, a member of parliament's Security and Defense Committee, told Rudaw on Friday. The Kurdistan Region's Presidency, Council of Ministers, and Ministry of Natural Resources have all strongly condemned the attacks, describing them as attempts to cripple the Region's vital oil infrastructure. They called on the federal government to hold the perpetrators to account. The international community has also condemned the attacks. KRG Deputy Chief of Staff Aziz Ahmad said last week that drone strikes by 'criminal militias on the Iraqi government payroll' have led to the loss of nearly 200,000 barrels of oil production per day. Ahmad also said that the drones were launched from Kirkuk province.
Rudaw Net
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Iraq's top court rejects lawsuits against Kurdish parliament
Also in Iraq PM Sudani welcomes new commander of anti-ISIS coalition Iraq cannot control militias attacking Kurdistan Region, says MP Iraq records 16 new cases of Crimean-Congo fever Iraqi parliament to convene on Kurdistan Region drone attacks A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq's Federal Supreme Court on Monday dismissed two lawsuits seeking the dissolution of the Kurdistan Region's parliament, ruling that the matter falls outside its jurisdiction. 'Both lawsuits were rejected by the Federal Supreme Court on the grounds that the issue is not within the jurisdiction of the court,' Omar Gulpi, one of the plaintiffs and a member of the opposition Kurdistan Justice Group (Komal), told Rudaw on Monday. His lawsuit was filed with the federal court against the Kurdistan parliament, calling for the annulment of the 2024 regional election results over its failure to convene. A similar lawsuit was filed by the head of the New Generation Movement's (NGM) bloc in the Iraqi parliament, Srwa Abdulwahid, and two other members of the party, calling for the dissolution of the Kurdish legislature. The NGM is the strongest opposition party in the Kurdistan Region. Komal leader Ali Bapir in June criticized the current Kurdish parliament as lacking legitimacy due to alleged electoral fraud. Despite this, he told Rudaw that convening it to form a new government would still serve the public interest. The Kurdistan Region held delayed parliamentary elections in October 2024, two years after the original date. The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) won 39 out of 100 seats, followed by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) with 23. As no party achieved a majority, a governing coalition is required, as has been customary. Amid the impasse, lawmakers in the Kurdish parliament - who are seemingly awaiting the outcome of the government formation talks between the KDP and the PUK - have convened only once in December, without electing a speaker or deputies. The session ended with no significant decisions and was adjourned indefinitely. Hastyar Qadir and Nahro Mohammed contributed to this report.
The Sun
15-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Drone attack halts US-run oil field in Iraq's Kurdistan
ARBIL: A drone strike disrupted operations at a US-operated oil field in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, marking another attack on the area's critical energy infrastructure. The Kurdistan Regional Government condemned the strike on the Sarsang oil field in Duhok province as an act of terrorism. HKN Energy, the US firm managing the site, confirmed the attack occurred around 7:00 am local time, damaging a production facility. 'Operations at the affected facility have been suspended until the site is secured,' the company stated. Emergency teams later contained a fire that broke out, with no casualties reported. The strike follows a series of recent attacks in Kurdistan, including a drone incident near Erbil airport, which hosts US troops. Another attack targeted the Khurmala oil field, causing material damage. No group has claimed responsibility, but Kurdish authorities previously blamed pro-Iran factions for similar incidents. Tensions between Baghdad and Erbil have escalated over oil and gas contracts, with Iraq's federal government opposing Kurdistan's independent deals with foreign firms. Hours after the drone strike, Iraq's oil ministry announced a preliminary agreement with HKN Energy to develop the Hamrin oil field. Iraqi Oil Minister Hayan Abdel Ghani expressed Baghdad's willingness to collaborate with US companies, despite ongoing disputes. Approximately 2,500 US troops remain in Iraq as part of the anti-ISIS coalition. - AFP
