ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — At least eight fires in Iraq's northern Kirkuk province have broken out since Saturday night resulting in the destruction of crops, the deaths of four people, and injuries to seven more, according to local officials, who are blaming Islamic State (ISIS) loyalists.
Additionally, three cases were reported in Daquq, he added, referring to towns and villages primarily in western Kirkuk province.
"Dozens of dunams of farmlands caught fire,” according to Kirkuki, who explained and emergency teams were dispatched to extinguish the flames.
The spokesperson of the Northern Hashd al-Shaabi Ali Hashmi told Rudaw that as were police rushing to Abbasi town to reach farmers to help them put out a fire, "a bomb detonated killing three [civilians] and wounding three others."
In the same explosion, he detailed, a police officer was killed and two others were wounded. He blamed ISIS remnants for the fires and explosions.
"ISIS militants have in the past demanded zakat from locals, but the people had rejected it. So, we suspect the ISIS militants have burned the barley and wheat crops of farmers," he added.
Zakat is one of Islam’s five pillars. According to the Quran, it is obligated for wealthy people to pay the zakat — 2.5 percent of their annual income to the poor.
"Today fire ripped through many wheat and barley crops in areas near Abbasi in Hawija and some other villages around Bashir and Rashad," Lt. Qais al-Kirkuki, the media officer of the Kirkuk Civil Defense Department, told Rudaw.
Additionally, three cases were reported in Daquq, he added, referring to towns and villages primarily in western Kirkuk province.
"Dozens of dunams of farmlands caught fire,” according to Kirkuki, who explained and emergency teams were dispatched to extinguish the flames.
The spokesperson of the Northern Hashd al-Shaabi Ali Hashmi told Rudaw that as were police rushing to Abbasi town to reach farmers to help them put out a fire, "a bomb detonated killing three [civilians] and wounding three others."
In the same explosion, he detailed, a police officer was killed and two others were wounded. He blamed ISIS remnants for the fires and explosions.
"ISIS militants have in the past demanded zakat from locals, but the people had rejected it. So, we suspect the ISIS militants have burned the barley and wheat crops of farmers," he added.
Zakat is one of Islam’s five pillars. According to the Quran, it is obligated for wealthy people to pay the zakat — 2.5 percent of their annual income to the poor.
Farhad Kakai, a community leader for Kakai Kurds, told Rudaw English on Sunday that many of the firest have targetted the religious minority. Kakais inhabit many of the Kurdistani areas between Peshmerga and Iraqi forces. Many are known to be wealthy landowners.
Shortly afterwards, another bomb was set off in Daquq, wounding two locals.
"All the wounded have been rushed to the Kirkuk hospitals," Hashmi said.
In order to respond to the escalating crop fires, Kirkuk’s acting governor has formed a committee to fight fires and protect farmers' crops as harvesting season is in full swing.
"Under the direct supervision of Rakan Saeed al-Jabouri and Lieutenant Governor Ali Hamadi and with the help of the police and Hashd al-Shaabi, they pay field visits to the affected areas to reach out to the farmers and bring the situation under control," Marwan Ali, the media officer for the Kirkuk governor, told Rudaw.
"The fires in Rashad and Bashir are huge," he added.
ISIS has claimed responsibility for several of the recent farmland fires across the country.
Last week prior to this weekend, more than 600 dunams of wheat crop in Khanaqin, Qaratapa, Jabara and the plains of Qamishalan have been burned in the disputed or Kurdistani areas claimed by both Erbil and Baghdad in Diyala province.
At least five people were killed and two wounded in two separate explosions in Sharqat, Saladin province over the weekend, officials confirmed. The Islamic State group (ISIS) has claimed both attacks.
Although the jihadist group was declared defeated in Iraq in December 2017, its remnants have retreated into Iraq’s deserts and mountains where they have resumed earlier tactics of hit-and-run, kidnap, ambush, bombing, and execution.
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