Two killed in Erbil over car parking: police

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Two people were killed in Erbil on Thursday after a fight over car parking, according to police who are now leading an investigation into the incident.

Erbil police said in a statement that they were informed about a fight on the 100 Meter Street near Erbil International Airport. When their teams arrived, they realized that “two people … were killed over parking their cars in a restaurant garage.”

The police added that they are carrying out a “detailed investigation.” 

One of the eyewitnesses of the incident told Rudaw that “all I saw was two people falling on the ground after being shot.”

The details of the incident were not immediately clear. 

Gun violence is on the rise in the Kurdistan Region and the government has struggled to bring ownership under control. Firearms, including sniper rifles and machine guns, can be purchased on the black market. An estimated 70 percent of people in the Kurdistan Region own weapons.

Family clashes in the Kurdistan Region are common. Three people were killed and several were injured in an armed clash between two families in Erbil province’s Harir sub-district in October. The feud led to further deaths.