ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Two people, including a police officer, have been injured in a tribal conflict that erupted in Duhok province’s district of Akre on Sunday.
As of the time of writing, no fatalities had been reported, but the fighting was still ongoing in Girdasen sub-district, southwest of Akre.
The mayor of Girdasen, Ahmed Sulaiman, told Rudaw that the clashes were sparked by “a social dispute” between two families in Akre’s Girdasen sub-district, but escalated into “heavy gun fighting among the two sides.”
The mayor urged residents to stay indoors and avoid the scene of the clashes, adding that security forces were working to contain the situation.
Sulaiman further elaborated that “three families had relocated from the area a few months ago due to the ongoing conflict, but they have since returned and resumed their fighting.”
In addition to the two injuries, two vehicles caught fire, the mayor said.
The widespread availability of firearms in the Kurdistan Region remains a significant concern. With the booming black market for weapons, including sniper rifles and machine guns, an estimated 70 percent of the region's population owns firearms.
Despite the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) efforts to regulate gun ownership, shootings continue to pose a security challenge.
