KIRKUK, Iraq - A number of gunmen allegedly shot at a Kurdish man and destroyed a structure in Kirkuk in recent days.
After he worked on the land and the house, a group of militants told Najat Nazim that they had taken control of the lands in the area and he was not allowed to build a house there.
The structure is located in the Sayyada area, north of Kirkuk.
The militants shot Nazim, injuring him. The Kurdish man has fled the area, fearing further reprisal.
Taban Nazim, the victim's sister, told Rudaw on Saturday that the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF, or Hashd al-Shaabi) shot her brother.
"We took him to Azadi Hospital, he was there for ten days. His health was very bad. He knew this land was unclaimed but his finances were not good so he bought the land and built a structure. They demolished it from him," she said,
The victim's family has pressed charges, but the court has yet to make a decision.
Sabir Mohammed, head of Kirkuk police media department, told Rudaw that they have received arrest warrants.
"Any individual, group, [political] party, or any government institution who presses charges, we will definitely follow up. I am aware. We have received the complaint and we will definitely investigate through the court which has asked us to arrest and hand them over to it," he said.
The frequency of cases like Nazim’s has made it difficult for security forces and police to identify and hold the perpetrators of these acts accountable.
