Iraq and Kurdistan announce arrests in connection with fires in Erbil, Duhok, and Kirkuk
Shafaq News/ The Iraqi and the Kurdish Ministries of Interior announced on Monday the arrest of individuals involved in recent fires in the governorates of Erbil, Duhok, and Kirkuk.
In a press conference attended by Shafaq News Agency correspondent, Iraqi Interior Ministry spokesperson Brigadier General Miqdad Miri stated, "The arrests were made through a precise operation, extraordinary efforts, and coordination between the Federal Ministry of Interior and the Kurdistan Region's Ministry of Interior." He revealed that the suspects belong to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
Responding to a question from a Shafaq News Agency reporter, Miri said, "Three individuals have been arrested and are currently in custody and under investigation by the Federal Intelligence Agency. They will be brought to trial."
Miri added that "the arrests were carried out with high-level coordination, with two suspects apprehended in Kirkuk and another in Diyala."
Providing more details, Brigadier General Miri explained, "Following the fires in Kirkuk, Duhok, and Erbil, a task force was formed under the supervision of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari."
"The fires were started in a way that made them difficult to detect, using a paste placed in candy boxes that would ignite after several hours." The losses are estimated to be millions of dollars.
Miri noted that "the task force uncovered leads and carried out a quality operation to apprehend the perpetrators, who have confessed to their involvement." Chemical materials used for setting markets and malls on fire were also seized from them.
According to the suspects' confessions, they planned to target two neighboring countries of Iraq and were also plotting to attack the Ceyhan oil pipeline.
Brigadier General Miri also mentioned that they had plans to target markets in Al-Sadr City, Shorja, and other areas, as well as electricity transmission lines in Erbil.
In turn, Hemen Mirani, General Director of the Interior Ministry Diwan, provided additional details about the recent fires.
During the joint press conference with Iraqi interior officials in Baghdad, Mirani stated that the goal of the fires was "to damage the economy, provoke public anger against the government, and according to the confessions, the PKK was behind these incidents."
He added that "those responsible for the incidents were recruited by the PKK in Syria and Turkiye and received training in Qandil and Kifri. One of the suspects, identified as Honar Fakhruddin Ahmed, is an employee in the 70th Unit (Peshmerga affiliated with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan), while another, Mohammed Najat Hassan, is an officer in the Counter-Terrorism Unit in Al-Sulaymaniyah, also affiliated with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan."
