“With deep sorrow and grief, the interior ministry announces the martyrdom of two federal police officers and the injury of five other members with varying injuries, while performing their sacred duties to resolve a tribal dispute,” the ministry said in a statement, about the conflict in Baghdad’s Rusafa district.
It accused the “elements causing the conflict” of attacking the policemen, saying “two attackers” were killed in the clashes and six others were arrested.
“Security forces are currently conducting extensive searches and raids in the area’s neighborhoods,” the ministry asserted.
Tribal conflicts in Iraq continue to be a major concern for the federal government.
Armed clashes, especially in Basra, Maysan, and Dhi Qar provinces, remain a frequent occurrence, with some requiring intervention from the Iraqi military. These disputes typically involve light and medium weapons, and in some cases, mortar shells. They also frequently turn deadly and leave casualties.
The conflicts are also compounded by the widespread availability of arms, with tribes in the region possessing millions of weapons, many obtained from military caches of the regime of toppled Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and paramilitary groups.
In the Sunday statement, the interior ministry vowed to “strike with an iron fist” the “criminals and those involved in inciting tribal strife.”
“There will be no leniency in pursuing them until the very last moment,” it stressed.
The dynamics of tribal violence have evolved in recent years, with political parties sometimes covering for their tribal affiliates, exacerbating the situation. The complex web of tribal, political, and paramilitary networks makes it difficult for the government to enforce the rule of law.
Between 2019 and 2021, Iraq’s southernmost Basra province alone witnessed 280 armed disputes, resulting in 35 deaths and 74 injuries.
