Harki Fighters Clash With Barzani Forces in Iraq’s Erbil Region

Armed confrontation broke out on 8 July in the Khabat-Habat district of Erbil province, the administrative centre of Iraq’s Kurdish region, when fighters from the Harki clan attacked positions held by forces loyal to the ruling Barzani family and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). Local reports said at least two people were killed as exchanges of gunfire continued from midday into the evening. Witnesses and security sources indicated that light artillery and small drones were used during the assault, marking an escalation of tensions that have simmered for weeks. Kurdistan Regional Government installations in Erbil have been hit by sporadic shelling and drone strikes on several occasions recently, but Tuesday’s violence is the most serious confrontation to date between tribal militants and regional authorities. Peshmerga units were deployed to reinforce government positions as fighting spread across several villages in the largely rural district. The Kurdish authorities have not yet issued an official casualty tally or comment on the scope of the operation. There was no immediate sign of mediation between the rival clans, raising concerns of a protracted intra-Kurdish conflict in one of Iraq’s most stable regions.