Clashes between Kurds, Arabs, and Turkmen in Kirkuk leave four dead; security forces deployed

According to police and security sources, Iraqi security forces were deployed on Sunday in the oil-rich city of Kirkuk in northern Iraq. In ethnic clashes that occurred in this multi-ethnic city on Saturday, at least four people were killed and many more were injured. Kurds, Arabs, and Turkmen reside in Kirkuk. The central government of Iraq deployed security forces to prevent further violence. The clashes began after reports emerged a few days earlier that Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani, the Prime Minister of Iraq, had ordered a security facility previously under the control of federal security forces to be handed over to the Kurdistan Democratic Party. The Iraqi army had been using this building, which once belonged to that group, since 2017. Arab residents and minority groups who say they have been harmed under Kurdish rule protested the return of the Kurdistan Democratic Party to Kirkuk. About a week ago, Arab and Turkmen protesters staged a sit-in near the Iraqi security forces' headquarters in Kirkuk. However, Kurdish protesters attempted to approach that location on Saturday. Police sources stated that the four protesters who were shot dead during the multi-ethnic clashes in Kirkuk on Saturday were all Kurds. The fighting began after several days of tension in the city and reports regarding the handover of the security building. A spokesperson for the Kirkuk police stated in a statement to reporters that the curfew has been lifted and vehicles were moving normally in the city on Sunday. According to four residents of Kirkuk, military helicopters flew over the city on Sunday. Officials reported that 15 people were injured in the clashes. It has been reported that police arrested several individuals involved in the clashes on Sunday, but the police refrained from commenting on the arrests. Kirkuk is an oil-rich province in northern Iraq, located along the lines between the autonomous Kurdistan region and areas controlled by the central government of Iraq. The Prime Minister of Iraq called for the establishment of a commission to investigate the clashes on Saturday and promised in a press statement released by his office that those responsible for the clashes would be held accountable. Following the violence in Kirkuk, the Prime Minister issued a curfew and also ordered 'extensive security operations in areas affected by the riots.' He urged all parties (leaders of ethnic groups) to 'play their role in preventing conflict and maintaining security, stability, and order in Kirkuk province.' Sudani, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi armed forces, instructed security forces in the province to 'fulfill their responsibilities in maintaining security and upholding the rule of law.' Turkmen and Arab protesters continued their sit-in outside the disputed security building late on Saturday. This report was compiled using information from Agence France-Presse and Reuters.