The Police Directorate of Erbil Governorate, the capital of the Kurdistan Region, announced on Sunday the arrest of “Khurshid Latif,” a prominent figure in the “Harki” tribe, and his brother, “Haydar Latif,” on charges of murder, inciting chaos, and instigating actions against security forces.
In a statement, the police explained: “After the two suspects caused chaos and trouble in the recent period, trespassed on citizens’ and public properties, caused the martyrdom of a Peshmerga member and another citizen, burned military equipment belonging to the Peshmerga forces, incited the public against the law and general stability, obstructed government projects, and threatened to sabotage economic infrastructure in separate areas of the Khabat district, in addition to facing legal complaints filed against them by citizens; the aforementioned individuals were arrested today, 5/7/2026, based on a judicial warrant.”
According to the statement, “Khurshid and Haydar Harki” will be brought to trial for the crimes they committed in the coming period. The statement added: “We assure citizens that their lives and properties are protected,” emphasizing that “the law shall prevail, and no criminal will be allowed to destabilize the security and stability of the country or incite chaos.”
In early July of last year, the Khabat district, west of Erbil Governorate, witnessed armed clashes that broke out between gunmen from the Harki and Goran tribes due to an old dispute regarding the ownership of agricultural lands and the sharing of a waterway. The confrontations quickly expanded, prompting the Zerevani forces, affiliated with the Ministry of Peshmerga, to intervene to contain the tension and enforce security. According to security and medical sources, the clashes resulted in casualties, both dead and wounded, before the Kurdistan Region leadership launched de-escalation efforts by forming a committee to resolve the dispute and contain its repercussions, amid official calls to resort to the law and prevent the use of weapons in resolving tribal disputes.
Note: This text is translated from the original Arabic version… Read the Arabic version:Click here
