Iraq: Tensions high in Kirkuk province Sep. 18

Event

Tensions are running high in the territorially-disputed Kirkuk province in the lead-up to the upcoming Kurdistan independence referendum - scheduled for September 25 - which has been rejected as unconstitutional by the Iraqi government. A province-wide curfew was briefly implemented in Kirkuk following a spate of referendum-related violence on Monday night, September 18 before being reportedly lifted on Tuesday, September 19. An off-duty Iraqi security force officer was killed and five other individuals were injured after clashes broke out between them and Turkmen security guards near the Turkmen National Movement headquarters in central Kirkuk on Monday. A rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) was also fired at a vehicle near the Turkmen Front headquarters in Kirkuk city, and a police patrol was reportedly attacked in the evening. Police were deployed overnight to Kirkuk to prevent the situation from escalating and checkpoints have been erected across the city.

The majority Shi'a Asaib Ahl Al-Haq militia, a faction of the Iraqi government's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), has also deployed a large number of troops to the disputed town of Tuz Khourmatu (Salah Al-Din province) since Sunday. Their presence has reportedly resulted in increasing tensions between their troops and the Kurdish Peshmerga forces.

Context

Kirkuk is located outside the delineated boundaries of the autonomous region of Kurdistan and is claimed by both the Iraqi government and the Kurds. Autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan officially includes three provinces (Erbil, Dahuk, and Sulaymaniyah) protected by the Peshmerga security force. The governments of Iraq, Iran, and Turkey - which share borders with Iraqi Kurdistan and are home to Kurdish populations - have all opposed the referendum for Kurdish independence.

On September 14, Kurdistan region President Massoud Barzani received a proposal from the UN, the US, and the UK to postpone the referendum. Barzani has given mixed signals on whether he is willing to negotiate or delay the referendum.

Advice

Individuals in Iraq are advised to monitor the situation.

The security environment in Iraq remains complex. Although travel is permissible in some areas, other areas should be considered strictly off limits. Professional security advice and support should be sought prior to all travel. While Iraqi Kurdistan is relatively far from the frontlines of the campaign against the Islamic State and has generally been more secure than the rest of the country, the risk of intra-Kurdish clashes suggests additional caution should be adopted for the foreseeable future.