After Fatal Shooting at Lanaz Refinery Protest, Lajan Village Evacuated Under Security Pressure

Peregraf – Two days after the killing of a young truck driver near the Lanaz Oil Refinery, Peshmerga and Erbil security forces forcibly evacuated the entire village of Lajan, deepening tensions in the Khabat district of Erbil. Residents were removed from their homes and relocated by Erbil security forces on the pretext of arresting a number of wanted individuals, according to villagers.

The forced removal followed Peregraf’s earlier report on the November 29 killing of 25-year-old truck driver Erfan Bahadin, a case that has generated widespread outrage.

Killing of a Kirkuk Driver Sparks Public Anger 

Erfan Bahadin—a resident of Kirkuk, newly married, and father of a two-month-old infant—was shot dead during unrest outside the Lanaz Refinery on the Erbil–Gweir road. His family insists he had no involvement in the Lajan protest and was only caught in the blockade while working as a driver for the Ghalia Company.

His father said Erfan stepped out of his truck as tensions rose but was fatally struck by a Dushka round.

“The Lanaz Refinery Asayish shot him,” he said, adding he has video footage, including one clip showing someone ordering, “Shoot him.”

He described receiving his son’s body from the forensic department with a bullet wound entering the forehead and exiting the back of the head.

Erfan’s wife, holding their baby during the funeral, said: “He didn’t have a pistol or anything. He was standing next to his car waiting for the demonstration to end.” 

Conflicting Accounts From Officials and Protesters 

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Ministry of Interior has characterized the unrest as “external agitation and internal sedition,” claiming that the fatal shot came from protesters themselves. Demonstrators strongly reject this, insisting security forces opened heavy gunfire to disperse the crowd and that Erfan was struck by refinery Asayish.

Erfan’s father also expressed deep frustration: “Until now, no representative of the Kurdistan Regional Government has come to offer condolences—they haven’t even called me.”

Lajan Village Emptied After Days of Protest

Lajan, a village of the Harki tribe, had been the center of protests demanding employment opportunities at the refinery—jobs residents say were promised before Iraq’s parliamentary election but never delivered.

Following the killing and rising tensions, Erbil security forces emptied the village entirely, telling residents the operation was necessary to arrest a number of wanted individuals. Villagers argue the operation amounted to collective punishment and was carried out under intense pressure.

As of Monday, the entire population of Lajan has been displaced.

Government Warning

The KRG Ministry of Interior reiterated its hardline stance, stating: “We will no longer allow the good intentions of the institutions of the Kurdistan Region to be taken advantage of… troublemakers will be dealt with according to the laws in force.”

The evacuation of Lajan marks a sharp escalation in the crisis, raising concerns about the heavy-handed use of force against civilians and the government’s handling of public dissent.

Peregraf will continue to follow developments on the status of the displaced villagers and the investigation into the killing of Erfan Bahadin.