.jpg)
News and comment by The Kurdistan Tribune:
Yesterday a car bomb exploded in the south of Kirkuk city. The driver and his passenger, both armed, were killed by the explosion. Kirkuk’s head of police Colonel Sarhad Kadir told local news agencies that these men were planning a terrorist attack but the car blew up before they reached their destination.
The security situation in Kirkuk has deteriorated recently, especially during the current dispute between Baghdad and the KRG. Some observers think Baghdad wants to pressurise the KRG and that this is the reason for its lax approach to security. Furthermore, the greater the dispute between the KRG and the Iraqi state, the greater the insecurity and uncertainty in Kirkuk city: this was the case in the past and this is the case now.
Two weeks ago the Mayor of Kirkuk Dr Najmadin Karim warned the security chief in Salahaddin city against deliberate acts to destabilise Kirkuk city. This followed another deadly explosion in Kirkuk targeting local workers who were queuing for their salaries which are paid by the Salahaddin city authorities.
