Erbil, Baghdad Urge Restraint
As Shaky Standoff Continues

Three Iraqis were killed and six others wounded in Mosul, a city witnessing a precarious situation amid mounting tension at the border with Syria. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) described the situation in the contact area between its troops and the Iraqi army in the province of Nineveh as "delicate," warning that any mistake by either side could lead to a "disaster.”

About This Article

Summary : The fragile security situation across Iraq is threatening to erase diplomatic gains made between the Kurdish government and Baghdad. Bassem Francis reports on the spate of attacks that have led both sides to a military delopment.  Publisher: Al-Hayat (Pan Arab) Original Title: Kurdistan: Any Mistake in Nineveh Can Lead to Disaster Author: Bassem Francis First Published: August 28, 2012 Posted on: August 28 2012 Translated by: Sami-Joe Abboud Categories : Security Iraq

Security sources confirmed the killing of "civilians as well as the injury of the chief of the Coordination Division in Tal Afar Police (West Mosul) and two of his bodyguards, when a car bomb exploded targeting his motorcade as it passed in the agrarian-reform area west of the city."

The sources pointed out that "a civilian was killed and another injured in a roadside bomb that targeted a police patrol downtown, and two baby brothers were wounded when a roadside bomb targeted an army patrol in Tanak neighborhood.”

The Interior Ministry announced in a statement that it had “arrested 11 wanted individuals and found two explosive devices ready to blow up in a security operation carried out in Alsahaji region.”

Jabbar Yawar, secretary-general of the Kurdish Peshmerga Ministry, confirmed after meeting with a representative of the US-Iraqi Cooperation Office that "the ministry is keen to calm the situation and resolve problems with the Federal Army through dialogue in the disputed areas, especially in the area of Zammar.”

Yawar warned that "the situation is critical in the region" and that "the smallest mistake could lead to a major disaster."

He pointed out that "both sides are currently applying five out of the seven items agreed upon in early August, and they will hold a meeting in the coming days to continue their discussion.”

The turmoil in Syria pushed regional governments in Erbil and Baghdad to deploy additional forces in Zammar, northwest of Nineveh, late last month to prevent infiltration, which led to the risk of a confrontation between the two sides, ended by the announcement of the US-brokered deal.