Goran Adnan Omer – Activists
After the events of October 16, 2017, Kirkuk and the surrounding disputed territories witnessed a grave injustice—what many Kurds and minorities consider tantamount to genocide. The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a paramilitary group aligned with Iran, were not merely the instruments of this inhumane campaign but also served as the enforcers of ethnic cleansing across these areas.
In Kirkuk, the PMF systematically worked to erase Kurdish identity and alter the city’s long-standing demographic makeup. Their incursion forced thousands of Kurdish families to flee their homes and relocate to other areas in and around the city. Entire neighborhoods and villages that were once Kurdish-majority were emptied and reduced to a few isolated Kurdish households, effectively re-engineering the ethnic composition of the region. This forced displacement was not random—it was a deliberate and pre-planned effort to weaken Kurdish presence in disputed areas.
Although the PMF was officially formed in 2014 to fight ISIS, in reality, it has become an extension of Iran’s military agenda in Iraq. Various factions within the PMF—such as Kata’ib Hezbollah, Saraya al-Khorasani, and Saraya al-Ashtar—take direct orders from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Tehran, not from Baghdad. These groups operate with total impunity in disputed regions like Shingal, Makhmour, Bashiqa, Zummar, and Tuz Khurmatu, acting outside Iraqi law and without international oversight. Their activities have caused mass displacement of indigenous residents, particularly Kurds and Yazidis.
To restore stability and sovereignty to Iraq, the following urgent actions must be taken:
- The United Nations and the international community must pressure the Iraqi government to dismantle all militia groups and bring them under state control and constitutional authority.
- Iran’s influence and its direct ties with these armed groups must be severed immediately. These connections have allowed militias to serve as Iran’s proxies, destabilizing Iraq’s political and social fabric.
It is clear that the PMF today represents one of the greatest threats to Iraq’s unity and regional peace. Originally established under the pretext of fighting ISIS, the PMF has now become a new form of ISIS—particularly for the Kurdish population and anyone who dares to oppose Iranian interests.
Moreover, simply rebranding or reshuffling these groups under new names is not enough. Every individual involved in crimes against Kurdish civilians must be arrested and brought to justice. The international community must act swiftly to end the lawlessness and hold these groups accountable, as every delay only grants them further permission to continue their abuses.
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