2023 Makhmour clashes

The Makhmour clashes (October 22, 2023) were a series of armed clashes which began between Peshmerga and the Iraqi army in the Kurdish majority town of Makhmour and its surrounding northwestern mountain range.

Background
Makhmour camp houses Kurdish refugees from Turkey. It is located in an area disputed between Baghdad and Erbil and therefore characterized by a security vacuum. It has been hit many times by Turkish forces claiming to target the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). On the 19th of October, the PKK announced that it had withdrawn all its fighters from the camp and Iraqi troops were subsequently stationed in the areas they had evacuated.

Clashes
The clash, which reportedly broke out in the afternoon, and lasted for around two hours before abating when commanders from both sides sought to defuse tensions, said military and Peshmerga sources. According to KirkukNow, the commander of the 18th Peshmerga infantry brigade and his deputy were among the dead.

Aftermath
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani called for restraint following clashes between the Iraqi army and Kurdish Peshmerga forces in the disputed town, and directed a high-level committee to investigate the incident. The decision was welcomed by the Peshmerga ministry.