Kirkuk policeman killed in clash with drug traffickers

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s ministry of the interior on Monday announced the death of a member of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) regiment during a security operation targeting suspected drug traffickers in Kirkuk province.

“With deep sadness and sorrow, the ministry of interior mourns one of the personnel of the SWAT regiment within the Kirkuk provincial police command, who rose as a martyr while performing his sacred national duty,” the ministry said in a statement on Monday.

The officer was killed during an operation to arrest suspects wanted on drug-related charges in the town of Pirde (Altun Kupri) of Kirkuk province.

According to the statement, a joint force from interior ministry units, working alongside local forces, moved to carry out the mission based on formal arrest warrants when they came under fire. “An armed clash erupted with the suspects,” the ministry said, adding that several security personnel were wounded and transferred to hospital.

The ministry said the operation resulted in the rescue of a family that was being held captive inside a farm, the arrest of one suspect, and the killing of another during the clash.

Security forces also seized weapons, ammunition, and narcotic substances from the area.

Providing further details, a source from the Kirkuk Police told Rudaw that the clash took place late Sunday night in the village of Birespan. “During an escalation and clash between our forces and drug traffickers, a SWAT regiment policeman named Laith Hikmat was killed and two other policemen were wounded,” the source said.

The police source added that “in the ambush, one drug trafficker was killed and another was arrested."

Iraqi authorities have in recent years intensified their campaign against drug trafficking, as the country - once primarily a transit route - has increasingly become a destination for narcotics consumption.

Last week, the ministry announced the arrest of four “internationally wanted” suspects and seizure of 200,000 Captagon pills during a joint security operation carried out in coordination with Syria.

In late November, the ministry said authorities dismantled more than 1,200 drug trafficking and promotion networks over the past three years, including 171 international groups. It further reported seizing more than 14 tons of narcotics and issuing over 2,300 drug-related court sentences, including 300 death penalties.

Additionally, around mid-August, the interior ministry said Iraq had emerged as a “regional leader” in counter-narcotics efforts, citing its role in providing intelligence on international drug trafficking networks.

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