The directorate of Asayish announced in a written press release that one of their members died, after Peshmerga forces attacked a number of Asayish at the checkpoint “as a result of a misunderstanding.”
The statement names Shakhawan Ahmed as the Asayish that died in the fight that took place on Wednesday morning, during which five other members were injured.
The directorate added that an “investigation committee” was set up to look into the matter, expressing their condolences over the death.
"The five Peshmerga of the commando forces, who were in Kirkuk for work, had finished their work and returned, they were complained about by the director of Takia district at the checkpoint, because of swerving their car,” Barham Mohammed, commander of the Peshmerga’s “golden division” told Rudaw’s Zryan Haji on Wednesday.
"The peshmergas were in civilian clothes and did not wear military uniforms, but they were armed, which is prohibited. When they were stopped at the checkpoint and questioned, the [then] fighting broke out," he added.
Bafel Talabani, co-leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), a ruling party in Sulaimani, issued a statement on Saturday saying no one is above the law, days after the son of a senior party official shot up a Sulaimani policeman’s house.
“We will not allow anyone, any party or group to disturb the peace of Sulaimani and we will not accept any violation of the law from anyone at any position in our zone,” Talabani said in a meeting with a number of PUK organizations, reported official party media. The PUK is in charge of security in Sulaimani province.
Four people were injured on February 3 when Alan Aziz, the son of prominent PUK politician Qadir Aziz, brought over 15 other armed men to a member of law enforcement’s house and allegedly opened fire on him and his family after a road dispute. The police officer in question, Sheikhal Ibrahim, says he fired back in response.
