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Unidentified gunmen abduct 4 in Kirkuk’s Daquq
[Rudaw] Four people guarding a power transmission tower in Daquq, south of Kirkuk,... a thick stew of Arabs, Turkmen, Kurds, and probably Antarcticans, all of them mutually hostile most of the time... were kidnapped by unidentified button men on Wednesday, according to local officials, who believe they are being held to extort money from their families. Among those kidnapped is Dilan Mofq, a 23-year-old ethnic Kurd and teaching graduate, who was working as a guard for a monthly salary of 250,000 dinars ($205). His father, Mofaq Rashid, says the kidnappers have called him asking for a $150,000 ransom in return for his son’s release. "During Eid [al-Fitr], he [Dilan] went back to work. I asked him not to go, but he said he had to," Rashid told Rudaw on Thursday. "At 12am [on Wednesday], their boss called me saying there is a roaring of cycle of violences in the region, let them remain vigilant. I therefore called my son warning him of the movements. He replied; ’dad, we are awake’," he said. "After a few minutes, I called him back, but he never replied. During the daylight, we went to the spot where we found that they along their weapons and cycle of violences had been kidnapped," he added. No group has grabbed credit for the abduction nor did the families specifically accuse Islamic State  ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allaharound with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not reallyMoslems.... (ISIS) faceless myrmidons of taking their sons. ISIS faceless myrmidons have relied heavily on kidnap and ransom to obtain money, regularly establishing fake checkpoints. The fate of many civilians kidnapped by the group remains unknown. Residents of Daquq have repeatedly called on Baghdad to send troops to secure the district against ISIS remnants operating in the area. Rashid says they are trying to trace the whereabouts of their sons through tribal leaders and other social figures. He said the kidnappers already warned them that they must not inform security forces if they pay the ransom for the release of their sons. According to data Rudaw’s Hiwa Hussamedin received from Daquq local authorities, unidentified button men in the region have kidnapped 12 people in the past month alone. Ramazan Talabani, the chieftain of Yangija village, says they have previously been able to secure the release of kidnapped individuals by paying ransoms. "When the Iraqi Federal Police were here, five workers at a petrol station were kidnapped. We released them on ransom," Talabani said, without explaining when the exchange occurred. "Therefore, we are trying to speak to them to know what they really want." Talabani hopes to find a solution to free the hostages because "by using force, we cannot do anything against them." Saad Harbiya, commander of Kirkuk Operations Command, downplayed the spate of abductions, saying the security of the region is "under control". "Thanks be to God, the security of the region is under control. Our forces are ready and playing a good role in their duties," Harbiya told Rudaw. Many Kurds in Daquq have previously abandoned their homes, fearing the resurgence of ISIS. Iraqi security forces are only present inside the cities and larger towns of southern and western Kirkuk, leaving swathes of the countryside undefended. Disputed territories claimed by both Erbil and Baghdad in the provinces of Kirkuk, Nineveh, Diyala, and Salahadin have become a hotbed for the bully boyz group’s activities. Related: Daquq: 2020-04-20 Iraqi forces arrest ISIS logistical mastermind Daquq: 2020-01-16 Amid continued ISIS attacks, Kurds flee Kirkuk province villages Daquq: 2019-10-09 Seven ‘terrorists’ killed in anti-terrorism operation in Iraq Posted by: trailing wife 2020-05-29 |
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