The Kurdish Regional Government Ministry of Pishmarga announced its forces have surrounded units belonging to the Iraqi Army 10th Division in the Khaboor region.
KRG Pishmarga Ministry deputy Haj Othman said the US is currently involved in mediating between Baghdad and Arbil to end this crisis. He said Pishmarga forces have artillery backup and can react towards any special conditions that may rise. The KRG will not allow the repeat of incidents that took place in 2008, he added. At that time Iraqi Army forces were dispatched and stationed in regions around the towns of Jalula and Sa’dieh in Iraq’s northern Diyala Province.
“At the moment, Iranian regime forces are entering these regions and battering villages and murdering the residents,” journalist Huker wrote of the events from Arbil. “Where were the Iraqi forces and the Defense Ministry on this issue? Why had they not come to protect these regions? The purpose of these events is to create a crisis to mislead the minds of the Iraqi people from the grave problems such as lack of electricity and fundamental services.”