Tensions in Kirkuk’s Newroz neighbourhood reached boiling point last night, as unidentified gunmen targeted a group of Kurdish citizens amid an ongoing dispute over eviction attempts carried out by the Iraqi army. No causalities were reported. The neighbourhood, situated in Iraqi Kurdistan’s capital, has been a focal point of protests against efforts to settle non-indigenous Arabs, with residents vehemently resisting evacuation orders.
The situation had escalated in Newroz last week, when Iraqi army vehicles were deployed to evacuate families from the residential area. The reason given was that the area belonged to the Ministry of Defence and the houses, built on unauthorised land, had been claimed by the Iraqi Interior Ministry.
The dispute over the ownership of these houses dates back to a period after 2003 when Paul Bremer, the Coalition Provisional Authority administrator, declared them to be the property of the Iraqi Finance Ministry. The former Kirkuk Provincial Council issued a decree granting the families the right to remain in their homes pending a legal resolution.
In response to the community’s outrage at the evacuation attempts, on Wednesday Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani issued a directive ordering the Ministry of Defence to withdraw its forces from Newroz, officially ending the evacuation order. However, reports suggest that the army has maintained a presence, despite local police taking over the area.
On Thursday night, the Iraqi army raided several houses in the Newroz neighbourhood and arrested three Kurds. The detainees were released later that night.