.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s Counter-Terrorism Service (ICTS) on Thursday acknowledged that two civilians were killed during a recent operation targeting a suspected Islamic State (ISIS) cell in Kirkuk province, after initially identifying one of the victims as a member of the cell. The deaths of the two Kurdish teenagers have sparked outrage among locals.
“A force from the Service managed to pursue two terrorists in a residential area densely populated by civilians. One of them was wearing an explosive belt and the other was armed. They intended to carry out a terrorist attack targeting citizens in the area,” the ICTS said in a statement.
“While the force was carrying out its duty to stop the terrorists, a clash occurred, resulting in the killing of one terrorist and the arrest of the other. The clash also resulted in the deaths of two civilians and the injury of four Counter-Terrorism Service fighters,” it added.
Hours after Sunday’s operation, the ICTS initially said two suspected ISIS members had been killed and a third arrested. The latest statement hints that one of the Kurdish teenagers had been mistakenly identified as an ISIS member.
The teenagers, Mohammed Hemin and Murad Zana, were at a warehouse near where fierce fighting broke out between the elite Iraqi force and the suspected ISIS members.
Rudaw learned that, in addition to the two deaths, Hemin’s family warehouse, four homes and three vehicles were damaged during the operation.
The ICTS said Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi had ordered the formation of a joint investigative committee to examine the incident, adding that the head of the service had also formed a "fact-finding committee to identify those responsible for any shortcomings.”
The ICTS expressed “profound regret for the harm that befell the civilians.”
Hemin Rahman, the father of 15-year-old Mohammed Hemin, told Rudaw on Wednesday that had the ICTS informed the family that an ISIS member was inside his warehouse, he would not have hesitated to capture him and hand him over to the force.
"Big mistakes were made that require investigation," Kirkuk Governor Mohammed Samaan Agha told Rudaw on Tuesday.
He added that, following a meeting with ICTS officials, the anti-terror delegation admitted to him that Hemin, like Zana, had been killed by mistake during the crossfire.
RELATED: Kirkuk families demand answers after ICTS raid deaths
