Kirkuk tribes form armed force to counter Iraqi military
A man fires a gun during a funeral for protesters who died
during a clash between Iraqi forces and Sunni Muslim protesters in
Kirkuk. (Reuters)
Al Arabiya with Agencies
Kirkuk tribes have formed an armed force to counter attack the Iraqi military, Al Arabiya’s correspondent reported on Thursday.
The formation comes after tribesmen were called to arms following a government sponsored military raid on a Sunni Muslim anti-government protest at a camp in Hawija, near Kirkuk, on Tuesday.
Dozens of people were killed and injured in the initial incident. It set off a wave of revenge attacks that hit five different Sunni-majority provinces, killing at least 110 people.
The violence is the deadliest so far linked to demonstrations that erupted in Sunni areas of the Shiite-majority country more than four months ago.
The Sunni protesters have called for the resignation of Shiite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and railed against the alleged targeting of their community by the authorities.
Violence on Thursday has led to the deaths of 10 policemen in a fire exchange between Sunni Muslim fighters and Iraqi security forces in the northern city of Mosul, according to Reuters.
Meanwhile, anti-government furor has also led to the destruction
of a pipeline carrying crude from the city of Kirkuk to Turkey’s
Mediterranean coast.
The flow of oil has been halted, sources at Iraq’s North Oil Company told Reuters.
The attack took place in the northern city of Shirqat.
The head of the Iraqi list, a parliamentary bloc, has criticized the government’s decision to involve the army in the anti-government protest in Hawija on Tuesday.
Suleiman al-Gamili told Al Arabiya that the incident placed the military in a state confrontation with Iraq’s people.
Iraqi Parliament Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi also labeled the incident in Hawija as a “catastrophe,” adding that the army’s action against the protesters was a “flagrant violation of the constitution.”
Nujaifi also questioned who gave the order for Iraqi forces to target protesters.
The formation comes after tribesmen were called to arms following a government sponsored military raid on a Sunni Muslim anti-government protest at a camp in Hawija, near Kirkuk, on Tuesday.
Dozens of people were killed and injured in the initial incident. It set off a wave of revenge attacks that hit five different Sunni-majority provinces, killing at least 110 people.
The violence is the deadliest so far linked to demonstrations that erupted in Sunni areas of the Shiite-majority country more than four months ago.
The Sunni protesters have called for the resignation of Shiite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and railed against the alleged targeting of their community by the authorities.
Violence on Thursday has led to the deaths of 10 policemen in a fire exchange between Sunni Muslim fighters and Iraqi security forces in the northern city of Mosul, according to Reuters.
The flow of oil has been halted, sources at Iraq’s North Oil Company told Reuters.
The attack took place in the northern city of Shirqat.
The head of the Iraqi list, a parliamentary bloc, has criticized the government’s decision to involve the army in the anti-government protest in Hawija on Tuesday.
Suleiman al-Gamili told Al Arabiya that the incident placed the military in a state confrontation with Iraq’s people.
Iraqi Parliament Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi also labeled the incident in Hawija as a “catastrophe,” adding that the army’s action against the protesters was a “flagrant violation of the constitution.”
Nujaifi also questioned who gave the order for Iraqi forces to target protesters.
Labels: Conflict, Crisis Politics, Iraq
posted by Pieface @ Thursday, April 25, 2013
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