Kurdish officials vow region ‘will not become headquarters of terrorism’

The Kurdistan Region of Iraq will not become a centre for terrorism, officials said yesterday.

Their comments came after authorities in the region arrested two men suspected of being involved in the killing of a Turkish diplomat last week.

Turkish vice consul Osman Kose was one of three people killed last Wednesday when a gunman opened fire in a restaurant in the Iraqi Kurdish regional capital of Erbil.

The lead suspect is the brother of a female member of the Turkish parliament, according to reports.

A statement from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq’s counterterrorism department said the suspect was Mazlum Dag, a sibling of Dersim Dag, a member of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party.

The department said it also arrested a suspected accomplice in the Erbil shooting.

“Kurdistan will never become the headquarters of terrorism … criminals will never be able to hide,” said former Kurdistan Region president Masoud Barzani.

He commended “security and antiterror forces of the Kurdistan Region for arresting the suspects” and called on all parties not to bring their disputes to the region.

Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, son of former president Masoud, said the region would remain a “safe haven”.

The arrests were due to “the selfless, determined efforts of the security forces and the constant support of our people”, the prime minister said.

Meanwhile, security forces in Baghdad launched the second phase of its military operation against ISIS on Saturday, amid fears that sleeper cells were using the area to regroup.

“The second phase of operation Will of Victory is expected to bolster security and stability in northern areas of Baghdad and the surrounding areas of Diyala, Salahaddin and Anbar provinces,” the Iraqi security forces said.

Iraqi armed forces, Shiite popular mobilisation units from Hashed Al Shaabi, tribal groups and US-led coalition warplanes were all participating in the operation, the military said.

Baghdad declared victory over ISIS in December 2017.

But after the group was driven out of areas it controlled for years, its militants have adapted their tactics and have carried out insurgent-style attacks in the country.

After its defeat, the group mounted a series of hit-andrun attacks aimed at undermining the Iraqi government.

ISIS once held large areas of Iraq and Syria.

In March, it lost the last territory it controlled in Syria.

Turkish vice consul Osman Kose was one of three people killed when a gunman opened fire at a restaurant in Erbil