Iraqi Army Raid in Kirkuk’s Nawroz Neighborhood Sparks Outrage Among Kurdish Residents

Peregraf — Residents of Kirkuk’s Nawroz neighborhood reported that Iraqi army forces carried out an early morning deployment and raid on Sunday, escalating tensions in the disputed area and prompting sharp condemnation from Kurdish officials.

According to local accounts and video footage circulating online, Iraqi soldiers were heavily deployed across the neighborhood at dawn. In one widely shared clip, a Kurdish man attempting to enter his home was blocked by soldiers, who pushed him back and physically assaulted him. In another incident, troops reportedly entered a separate residence, where a woman could be heard shouting and protesting their presence inside the house. 

The Nawroz neighborhood, home to 122 houses, has long been at the center of a property dispute. Prior to the fall of Ba’ath Party regime in 2003, the area was known as the “Officers’ Neighborhood,” reserved for military personnel. Following the regime’s collapse, Kurdish families who returned to Kirkuk settled in the area, asserting that they possess official title deeds (Tapu) for the properties.

However, tensions resurfaced two years ago when Iraqi army forces reasserted claims over parts of the neighborhood, stating that the land belongs to the Ministry of Defense. At the time, troops reportedly seized and occupied at least five houses, triggering protests by residents, who erected tents and refused to vacate their homes.

Dilan Ghafoor, a Kurdish member of the Iraqi parliament representing Kirkuk, strongly condemned the latest operation.

“I strongly condemn the Iraqi army’s raid on families in the Nawroz neighborhood of Kirkuk. The army’s behavior toward Kurdish families is illegal and unacceptable, and we stand firmly against it,” she told Peregraf. 

Ghafoor added that efforts are underway to address the situation through official channels. “We are in contact with high-ranking officials to resolve this issue. We call on Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani to intervene immediately to end the army’s violations and normalize the situation in the neighborhood,” she said. 

The incident underscores ongoing disputes over land ownership and security authority in Kirkuk, a multi-ethnic and oil-rich city where tensions between federal forces and Kurdish residents have persisted for years.