Iraq: Kikuk curfew lifted Sep. 26 /update 1

Event

The nighttime curfew implemented in the Arab and Turkmen neighborhoods of Kirkuk on Monday, September 25 was reportedly been lifted as of 05:00 (local time) on Tuesday, September 26. The curfew had been implemented due to potential unrest and political tensions linked to the September 25 referendum on Kurdish independence. The security situation is reported to be stable.

The curfew did not apply to the Kurdish region of Kirkuk, where celebrations occurred on the night of the referendum, which included fireworks, music, and shots fired into the air.

Context

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) held a referendum on independence from Iraq on Monday, September 25 - a move that has been deemed unconstitutional by Baghdad and denounced by much of the international community. Kirkuk is located outside the constitutionally agreed boundaries of the Kurdish Region of Iraq (KRI) and is claimed by both Federal Iraq and the KRG. The KRI officially includes three provinces (Erbil, Dahuk, and Sulaymaniyah), though Kurdish Peshmerga forces were able to capture much of the disputed territories across northern Iraq during the fight against Islamic State (IS). The city of Kirkuk is home to about 1 million people, comprising Arab, Kurdish, and Turkmen ethnic groups.

In addition to the referendum, Iraqi Security Forces are currently clearing IS from the Hawijah enclave in southwest Kirkuk. Major clearance operations in the past have seen high-profile attacks in Kirkuk, though it is considered unlikely given IS's current disarray and the security footprint in the province.

Advice

Individuals in Iraq are advised to monitor the situation closely. The US Embassy in Iraq had advised its citizens to avoid travel to the disputed territories between the KRG and the Iraqi government on the referendum day. Following the referendum, there is risk of inter-ethnic strife in mixed-ethnicity "disputed territories" currently under KRG control.

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, Kirkuk is only 60 km (37 miles) from current hostilities in Hawijah.