ISIS burns crop fields in Makhmour after farmers refuse to pay tax
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Islamic State (ISIS) cells hiding out in the Qarachogh Mountains of Makhmour have torched several local crop fields in recent days after farmers refused to pay the militants taxes. Farmers say they could be forced to leave if security does not improve.
"ISIS set our fields on fire today and the fire hasn't been brought under control yet," Ismael Sadiq Siyan, whose family owns land in Ali Rash village at the base of Mount Qarachogh, told Rudaw.
ISIS insurgents, keen to recuperate their strength following their territorial defeat in 2017, have now set their sights on the spring harvest of 27 villages on both sides of the Qarachogh Mountains.
"Daesh wants to take taxes and combine harvesters from the people, taxes that they call Zakat," Halgurd Khidir, a Peshmerga commander on the Qarachogh front line, told Rudaw, using the Arabic acronym for ISIS.
"They have asked for 15 percent from the people. They have asked for $4,000 for each combine harvester working in the fields."
Khidir said the Peshmerga stationed on the mountains have seen an increase in ISIS movements since last month.
"We see them down there in broad daylight," he said.
ISIS appears to be using the same tactic of scorching farms elsewhere in Iraq. The group’s Amaq propaganda outlet announced on Tuesday that militants had set fire to a farm in Diyala province. "A farm belonging to Riyadh Tami to the south of Bahriz in Diyala province was burnt. He is a commander in Tribal Hashd," read the statement.
One resident of Girda Shin in the Makhmour area, who wished to remain anonymous, told Rudaw ISIS militants had entered their village two days earlier.
More than once the militants have painted the words "Islamic State is here to stay" on the walls of houses around the village, they said. The villagers have since removed the graffiti.
"As partisans, whatever they intend to do they do in the night and then return to their places. At night, they say that whoever considers himself a man should dare come outside," the resident added.
Peshmerga commanders in the Qarachogh Mountains confirmed crops have been burned. ISIS also set fire to a number of fields near Ali Rash on Tuesday, they added.
A local source, who also asked to remain anonymous, confirmed to Rudaw that fields were burned in villages near Ali Rash on Sunday.
"Much fear and panic is spread among the people," the local source said.
If the security situation does not improve, the Kurdish areas of Makhmour could be emptied, the source warned.
"A friend of mine who is a farmer is saying he will leave Makhmour after Eid," the source claimed.
"If you go outside Makhmour a little bit you can see the fires."
The resident of Girda Shin also said they intend to leave due to the threats.
"If you don't have any security or safety here, how can you remain here? Your family cannot take it anymore if shooting starts at night," the resident added.
ISIS has become more brazen in Makhmour in recent months, routinely interacting with locals out hunting for desert truffles in the Qarachogh Mountains.
On April 27, ISIS ambushed a group of Kurdish civilians in the hills, among them an off-duty Kurdish Asayesh officer.
After checking his phone and seeing his pictures in uniform, the militants kidnapped and later executed him.
The Iraqi government announced the territorial defeat of ISIS in December 2017. However, remnants of the group have returned to earlier insurgency tactics, ambushing security forces, kidnapping and executing suspected informants, and extorting money from vulnerable rural populations.
"ISIS set our fields on fire today and the fire hasn't been brought under control yet," Ismael Sadiq Siyan, whose family owns land in Ali Rash village at the base of Mount Qarachogh, told Rudaw.
ISIS insurgents, keen to recuperate their strength following their territorial defeat in 2017, have now set their sights on the spring harvest of 27 villages on both sides of the Qarachogh Mountains.
"Daesh wants to take taxes and combine harvesters from the people, taxes that they call Zakat," Halgurd Khidir, a Peshmerga commander on the Qarachogh front line, told Rudaw, using the Arabic acronym for ISIS.
"They have asked for 15 percent from the people. They have asked for $4,000 for each combine harvester working in the fields."
Khidir said the Peshmerga stationed on the mountains have seen an increase in ISIS movements since last month.
"We see them down there in broad daylight," he said.
ISIS appears to be using the same tactic of scorching farms elsewhere in Iraq. The group’s Amaq propaganda outlet announced on Tuesday that militants had set fire to a farm in Diyala province. "A farm belonging to Riyadh Tami to the south of Bahriz in Diyala province was burnt. He is a commander in Tribal Hashd," read the statement.
One resident of Girda Shin in the Makhmour area, who wished to remain anonymous, told Rudaw ISIS militants had entered their village two days earlier.
More than once the militants have painted the words "Islamic State is here to stay" on the walls of houses around the village, they said. The villagers have since removed the graffiti.
"As partisans, whatever they intend to do they do in the night and then return to their places. At night, they say that whoever considers himself a man should dare come outside," the resident added.
Peshmerga commanders in the Qarachogh Mountains confirmed crops have been burned. ISIS also set fire to a number of fields near Ali Rash on Tuesday, they added.
A local source, who also asked to remain anonymous, confirmed to Rudaw that fields were burned in villages near Ali Rash on Sunday.
"Much fear and panic is spread among the people," the local source said.
If the security situation does not improve, the Kurdish areas of Makhmour could be emptied, the source warned.
"A friend of mine who is a farmer is saying he will leave Makhmour after Eid," the source claimed.
"If you go outside Makhmour a little bit you can see the fires."
The resident of Girda Shin also said they intend to leave due to the threats.
"If you don't have any security or safety here, how can you remain here? Your family cannot take it anymore if shooting starts at night," the resident added.
ISIS has become more brazen in Makhmour in recent months, routinely interacting with locals out hunting for desert truffles in the Qarachogh Mountains.
On April 27, ISIS ambushed a group of Kurdish civilians in the hills, among them an off-duty Kurdish Asayesh officer.
After checking his phone and seeing his pictures in uniform, the militants kidnapped and later executed him.
The Iraqi government announced the territorial defeat of ISIS in December 2017. However, remnants of the group have returned to earlier insurgency tactics, ambushing security forces, kidnapping and executing suspected informants, and extorting money from vulnerable rural populations.