The Zerevani forces, the special forces of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), conducted a military operation on 4 October, in the village of Korak Gowre, Erbil (Hewler) province in Iraqi Kurdistan which culminated in the fatal shooting of a young resident, Dana Mihedin, and inflicted injuries on another villager.
As reported by Roj News, an outlet based in Iraqi Kurdistan, on 4 February, a heavily armed contingent of Zerervani forces, made up of 12 military vehicles and over 50 personnel, launched an assault on the village of Korak Gowre in Erbil province. This aggressive action, which included troops firing on residents, resulted in the death of Dana Mihedin.
Firat News Agency corroborated these accounts, further detailing that another individual from the village was wounded as a result of gunfire from the KDP-aligned forces.
In a public statement, the victim’s brother recounted that the Zerevani forces entered the village without prior notification to its residents and begun an operation, with the apparent intention of demolisihing a house. He underscored that none of the villagers, including his brother, were armed at the time of the incident. His statement condemned the KDP for creating an atmosphere of terror, asserting that Dana was fatally shot in his yard by deliberate fire from the leader of the forces, Colonel Dana.
Further criticising the KDP’s militarised posture toward its populace, he remarked that, during the height of ISIS attacks on the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, the KDP refrained from employing such excessive force as was seen during yesterday’s attack on the village.
The Zerevani forces, established in 1997 to support police and security (Asayish) units, have become a prominent military entity within the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). Although they operate under the Kurdish Ministry of the Interior and are tasked with maintaining security and order, their close ties with the Turkish army during its incursions into Iraqi Kurdistan have drawn significant criticism. This relationship raises concerns regarding the KDP’s militaristic governance approach and its treatment of civilians, highlighting issues of excessive force and potential human rights violations in the region.
