SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) President Bafel Talabani late Saturday night received a phone call from Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, according to a statement.
“During the phone call, the developments in Kirkuk and swift necessary measures to normalize the situation in the city were discussed,” a statement released by Talabani’s office read.
“Both sides agreed to launch probes into the cause that led to the unrest and martyrdom and injuring of several Kurdish youths,” the statement said.
In the meantime, Talabani emphasized maintaining harmony and coexistence in Kirkuk, calling on Sudani to take necessary measures to prevent the escalation of the situation, according to the statement.
The statement further indicated that Talabani urged Sudani to bring the perpetrators to justice who opened fire against the Kurdish demonstrators.
Four Kurdish protesters were shot dead and 14 were wounded on Saturday during clashes between ethnic groups in the oil city of Kirkuk that broke out after days of tensions, security forces and police said.
Police and hospital sources had said earlier that one Kurdish protester was killed. The death toll rose after three more Kurdish protesters died in hospital from bullets wounds, they said.
Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani ordered a curfew in the city to prevent an escalation of the violence, calling on “political parties, social organizations, and community leaders to play their part in preventing strife and preserving security, stability, and order”.
Kirkuk, an oil-rich province in northern Iraq along the fault lines between the Kurdish autonomous region and areas controlled by Iraq’s Shi’ite-dominated central government, has been the focus of some of the country’s worst post-Islamic State violence.
