Operation widens in Pirde: Kurdish youths detained, no word on three Peshmerga
Many Kurdish youths were detained in operations launched after an armed attack on a base of the Hashd al-Shaabi 16th Brigade in the Kirkuk town of Pirde. Families of three men described as Peshmerga have not been told where they are being held.
RastinewsAccording to Rûdaw, many Kurdish youths were detained in security operations launched in the Kirkuk town of Pirde after an armed attack on a Hashd al-Shaabi base there. Some of those detained were released after questioning, while the families of three men described as Peshmerga have not been informed of where they are being held.
Neither the security forces nor Hashd al-Shaabi has issued any direct statement about the detentions.
"I handed my son over with my own hands"
Abdurrahman Ahmed, the father of one of the detained Peshmerga, described what happened to Rûdaw. He said security forces came to their home the day after the attack and told him his son was being sought as a suspect.
Ahmed said he then handed his son over to the security forces himself and has had no word from him since. He said his son was at home on the night of the incident, and that there is camera footage, evidence and witnesses to show it.
Ahmed said he later spoke to his son by telephone, after which police put him in a vehicle and took him to Kirkuk. The family said they have not been told where the detainee is being held or about his state of health.
Security tightened in Kurdish neighbourhoods
Heavy security activity has been reported in the area for about a week. According to Rûdaw, Humvee military vehicles fitted with heavy weapons have been stationed at various points in the town, and the presence of security forces has increased particularly in neighbourhoods with a dense Kurdish population.
Residents said daily life has been disrupted by the unease the operations have created.
"It was not like this even under Saddam"
Ali Muhammed, a resident of Pirde, said some young people had been detained and that families were leaving the town out of concern for their safety. Another resident, Fuad Abdulvahid, said it was unacceptable for people to be taken from their homes without any explanation.
Abdulvahid said the situation was causing serious concern and that he wanted the crisis to end as soon as possible. Some families have reportedly left Pirde for Erbil and central Kirkuk because of the increased security measures and the detentions.
The attack was carried out on the night of 3 September by two people on a motorcycle. One member of Hashd al-Shaabi was killed and another seriously wounded when the assailants opened fire on the base of the 16th Brigade. A wide-ranging operation was launched in the area afterwards.
Pirde lies on a strategic route between Kirkuk and Erbil and is known as a town where Kurdish and Turkmen populations live together.