Gunman fires on Peshmerga ministry, kills self

By Farhad Dolamari

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region— Erbil police are investigating after a lone gunman allegedly fired a shotgun at the Ministry of Peshmerga complex on Friday morning before taking his own life.

The man has been identified as a 22-year-old who worked at a bakery in Erbil.

No other injuries were reported.

Jabar Yawar, spokesperson of the ministry, told Rudaw the incident is being considered “an act of terror” and added that the investigation was still ongoing. 

“We will certainly announce if it had anything to do with Daesh, but for now we label it as an act of terror,” Yawar said, using the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State (ISIS).  

Rudaw spoke to the gunman’s father, who described his son as “calm and polite” and said their “entire family was in shock over what had taken place.

“I woke him up to get ready for work this morning,” the father said.

Rudaw also spoke to coworkers who said he was “in a state of despair and quite different from other days” on Friday.

Police have detained a truck driver who gave the alleged gunman a ride to the ministry complex.