Statement from Force 70 Command

PUKMEDIA

Force 70 Command's logo.

In response to certain alleged claims, Force 70 Command issued a statement confirming that their personnel, as well as other Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) forces, were not involved in the incidents in Erbil, Duhok, and Kirkuk. 

The statement said that a representative of the KRG's Ministry of Interior stated at a news conference in Baghdad that the suspects were recruited in exchange for a monetary payment, demonstrating and confirming that these individuals did not carry out these actions under their authority or protection, nor did they have any affiliation with their military personnel.

The full statement read:

We would like to clarify to the general public that our forces and other forces of the Kurdistan Region are in no way involved in the incidents that happened in Erbil, Duhok, and Kirkuk.

It is concerning and unexpected that during the press conference in Baghdad, only the representative of the KRG's Ministry of Interior singled out our forces and the Sulaymaniyah border for special reasons and accusations. Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the Iraqi Interior Ministry clearly alluded to the information without explicitly mentioning any specific forces.

During a news conference in Baghdad, the representative for the KRG's Interior Ministry stated that the suspects were recruited in return for a financial reward. This clearly demonstrates, and we reaffirm, that these individuals did not carry out these actions under our authority or in collaboration with any of our affiliated forces, nor did they have any form of contact with our forces.

We are awaiting the Iraqi security forces' thorough investigation of the matter to uncover the truth without any biassed motives or conspiratorial agendas. It is essential that the findings be made public and that those responsible for the arson attack on the markets face legal consequences and appropriate punishment.



PUKMEDIA