ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - One person has been arrested in connection with Thursday’s deadly clash between opposing factions of the Kurdistan Social Democratic Party (KSDP) in Halabja, security forces announced early on Friday morning.
One person was killed and four were injured in the fight, according to Kurdistan Region internal security forces (Asayish).
“By orders of the investigating judge, the killer was arrested by the security forces’ general directorate of operations,” read an Asayish statement that did not identify the person arrested.
Clashes erupted on Thursday night between forces of KSDP leader Mohammed Haji Mahmoud and his brother, Abdullah Haji Mahmoud, over a property dispute.
Abullah Haji Mahmoud, who is also the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) minister of the martyrs and Anfal, was removed from his position as deputy head of the party during a congress on Thursday. He told Rudaw that a group of armed men from the party attacked his house in Halabja province.
“We were attacked with RPGs and my son was injured,” he said and claimed that one of the attackers who fired the rocket-propelled grenades was his brother. On Wednesday armed men from the party attacked his son's house in the same area, he added.
The two brothers are fighting over ownership of a property located near Gulkhana, where their party headquarters is located.
Barzan Osman, spokesperson for Halabja police, confirmed to Rudaw that clashes took place in Gulkhana. A large number of security forces were deployed to the area to bring the situation under control.
Abdullah Haji Mahmoud blamed the escalation on security forces who failed to prevent the violence.
Raza Mohammad, mayor of Said Sadeq district, told Rudaw that a dead body had been transferred to a local hospital, identifying him as Daban Mohammed, 27. Rudaw has learned that the deceased was affiliated with the party leader.
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