ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Four people guarding a power transmission tower in Daquq, south of Kirkuk, were kidnapped by unidentified gunmen on Wednesday, according to local officials, who believe they are being held to extort money from their families.
Among those kidnapped is Dilan Mofq, a 23-year-old ethnic Kurd and teaching graduate, who was working as a guard for a monthly salary of 250,000 dinars ($205).
His father, Mofaq Rashid, says the kidnappers have called him asking for a $150,000 ransom in return for his son’s release.
“During Eid [al-Fitr], he [Dilan] went back to work. I asked him not to go, but he said he had to,” Rashid told Rudaw on Thursday.
“At 12am [on Wednesday], their boss called me saying there is a roaring of motorcycles in the region, let them remain vigilant. I therefore called my son warning him of the movements. He replied; ‘dad, we are awake’,” he said.
“After a few minutes, I called him back, but he never replied. During the daylight, we went to the spot where we found that they along their weapons and motorcycles had been kidnapped,” he added.
No group has claimed responsibility for the abduction nor did the families specifically accuse Islamic State (ISIS) militants of taking their sons.
ISIS militants have relied heavily on kidnap and ransom to obtain money, regularly establishing fake checkpoints. The fate of many civilians abducted by the group remains unknown.
Residents of Daquq have repeatedly called on Baghdad to send troops to secure the district against ISIS remnants operating in the area.
Rashid says they are trying to trace the whereabouts of their sons through tribal leaders and other social figures.
He said the kidnappers already warned them that they must not inform security forces if they pay the ransom for the release of their sons.
According to data Rudaw’s Hiwa Hussamedin received from Daquq local authorities, unidentified gunmen in the region have abducted 12 people in the past month alone.
Ramazan Talabani, the chieftain of Yangija village, says they have previously been able to secure the release of abducted individuals by paying ransoms.
“When the Iraqi Federal Police were here, five workers at a petrol station were kidnapped. We released them on ransom,” Talabani said, without explaining when the exchange occurred. “Therefore, we are trying to speak to them to know what they really want.”
Talabani hopes to find a solution to free the hostages because “by using force, we cannot do anything against them.”
Saad Harbiya, commander of Kirkuk Operations Command, downplayed the spate of abductions, saying the security of the region is “under control”.
“Thanks be to God, the security of the region is under control. Our forces are ready and playing a good role in their duties,” Harbiya told Rudaw.
Many Kurds in Daquq have previously abandoned their homes, fearing the resurgence of ISIS. Iraqi security forces are only present inside the cities and larger towns of southern and western Kirkuk, leaving swathes of the countryside undefended.
Disputed territories claimed by both Erbil and Baghdad in the provinces of Kirkuk, Nineveh, Diyala, and Salahadin have become a hotbed for the extremists group’s activities.
A major security vacuum exists in these areas, caused by a lack of military coordination and communication between the Kurdish Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi army since October 2017, when Erbil-Baghdad relations hit an all-time low.
Despite the government declaring ISIS defeated in Iraq in December 2017, the group continues to maintain an active presence, particularly in the disputed territories, carrying out hit-and-run attacks against security forces, abducting civilians and officials, and bombing populated areas.
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