09-07-2025
Tribal gunfight: Water dispute turns deadly in Erbil
Shafaq News – Erbil
A dispute over irrigation rights escalated into deadly violence on Tuesday in Erbil's Khabat district, Iraqi Kurdistan Region, where tribal gunmen clashed with Kurdish security forces attempting to arrest suspects involved in recent armed confrontations.
The conflict erupted after a change in the course of a tributary of the Great Zab River, which disrupted water distribution to nearby farmland, according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA). The resulting tension between members of the Herki tribe and rival landowners quickly turned violent.
A large security force was deployed to Qarahanjir village to detain individuals accused of opening fire during a previous altercation over land access. According to a local source who spoke to Shafaq News, members of the Herki tribe resisted with stones and gunfire, trying to block the arrests.
The clashes intensified, with supporters of tribal figure Khurshid Harki reportedly burning tires and using live fire to block roads. Security reinforcements responded, leading to a fierce standoff that left one young man from the Herki tribe dead and at least five others wounded, including members of the Zeravani forces, a Kurdish paramilitary unit.
