Shooting in Erbil mosque involves PUK candidate’s guards: Asayish

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Security forces (Asayish) said in a statement that a person was shot during a mourning ceremony at a mosque in Erbil on Monday by guards of a Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) candidate. 

“(Shalaw Kosrat Rasul) visited the funeral without informing the family. They were told by the family who owns [hosted] the mourning ceremony to leave,” Erbil Asayish said in a Facebook statement.

Rasul is the PUK’s top candidate on its Erbil list for the Kurdistan Region’s parliamentary elections on October 20. 

The Asayish said that an argument ensued at the ceremony at Rashad Mufti Mosque, leading to Rasul’s guards opening fire and wounding a funeral attendee in the leg.

“Those people who opened fire and participated in this illegal act will be made to face the law,” the Asayish statement added. 

A relative of the wounded individual told Rudaw’s Farhad Dolamari that one of Rasul’s guards opened fire and a bullet injured his cousin. The relative added that only Rasul’s guards had opened fire, noting he was seated behind Rasul at the mosque.

A video shared by Erbil’s Asayish shows damage to the mosque and bullet casings on the floor.

Karwan Gaznay, the spokesperson for the PUK list in this election, stated on party media that the family of the deceased, Tofiq Haji Hamaka, is affiliated with the PUK. Gaznay added that a guard of one of the funeral attendees made "inappropriate" remarks, and as Rasul was leaving, “[the guards] opened fire inside the mosque.”

Media affiliated with the KDP reported that the same funeral attendee had animosity with Rasul’s family. 

In a video posted on Rasul’s social media, he walks into the mourning ceremony and is greeted by the hosts. Rasul has not addressed the incident in the post.

Leaders in the Kurdistan Region have encouraged the campaigning period to avoid violence. Campaigning began on Wednesday and continues until October 15.