Diyala town rocked by fortnight of tribal fighting

ABU SAYDA, Iraq — Sunni and Shiite tribes have been fighting for almost two weeks in the Diyala province town of Abu Sayda, 70 kilometres northeast of Baghdad.

The situation outgrew the control of security forces, with tribe members using heavy weapons. Following an order by Mustafa al-Kadhimi, who is both Iraqi prime minister and commander in chief of the armed forces, a lockdown from which only military vehicles are exempt has been imposed in the area.

So far, 16 people have been reported killed and 26 injured in the clashes. Security forces are searching for those involved in the killings.

"When we first arrived here, the neighbourhoods were empty. No one was outside and there were many casualties. They were fighting every other day," Rapid Response Forces member Alaa Hamid said.

"About 460 mortars have been fired towards us, forcing us to evacuate," local shop owner Khalid Akram said. "The children were scared and women were running in the streets. There were armed groups killing people, stealing property, and demanding ransoms."

The fighting started following the murder of Shiite tribal leader Sheikh Ali Fadhale al-Kaabi and his four sons, killed in the Muqdadiya district of Diyala province on October 27. The Islamic State (ISIS) claimed responsibility for the murder. 

"Nine wanted people have been arrested according to the Iraqi Crimes Against Security Law, Article 4 for terror and Article 406 for murder. Heavy weapons have been confiscated such as mortars, RPGs, as well as light weapons," Rapid Response Force media officer Major Firas Zobedi said.

Reporting by Hiwa Hussamaddin

Translation and video editing by Sarkawt Mohammed