A tribal conflict in Akre’s Girdasen subdistrict on Sunday night sparked by a “social dispute” escalated into heavy gun fighting between two families. At least two people, including a police officer, were injured in the clashes.
Ahmed Sulaiman, the mayor of Girdasen, told Rudaw on Monday that the situation is now under control and residents can safely leave their houses. Security forces have arrested five individuals in connection with the clashes, and a judge has issued arrest warrants for 25 others.
Both injured individuals are in a stable condition, according to Sulaiman.
Two vehicles also caught fire, and several houses sustained minor material damage in the fighting.
The widespread availability of firearms in the Kurdistan Region remains a significant concern. With a booming black market for weapons, including sniper rifles and machine guns, an estimated 70 percent of the region's population owns firearms.
Despite the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) efforts to regulate gun ownership, shootings continue to pose a security challenge.
Naif Ramadhan contributed to this report.
