ERBIL,— Kurdish security forces linked to the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) raided the village of Girdarasha in Iraq’s Kurdistan region on Sunday, arresting a well-known Harki (Herki) tribal leader, his two brothers, and their private guards, the Erbil Police Directorate said.
The directorate identified the main suspects as Khurshid Harki and his brother Haidar Harki. A third brother was also detained, though police did not release his name.
Officers disarmed and took into custody the guards who had been protecting the men.
In a statement dated July 5, 2026, police said the raid was carried out under judicial warrants issued after citizens filed complaints against the men.
All those arrested have been moved to a secure holding site to await legal proceedings, the statement said.
Police said the suspects face charges tied to the killing of a Peshmerga militant loyal to the KDP and a civilian, along with the burning of military equipment belonging to Kurdish Peshmerga forces.
Additional charges include trespassing on private and public property and stirring up unrest that police said threatened social stability in the area.
The statement said the brothers had also worked to block government service projects and had endangered the local economy in the Khabat district, causing what police described as major harm to public interests.
Police said the rule of law would be upheld and that no one would be allowed to threaten security in the region. The detained men are expected to be handed over to the judiciary to face trial on the charges outlined by police.
Khurshid Harki is a prominent figure among the Harki tribe, a group that has clashed with regional authorities in the past.
In July 2025, a land dispute between Harki supporters and KDP forces turned violent, leaving two people dead and five wounded on both sides.
A reconciliation committee formed by the president of the Kurdistan Region was said to have resolved that dispute last year. However, police said fresh criminal activity led to Sunday’s operation.
The Kurdistan region of Iraq remains split along political and geographic lines. The KDP, led by the Barzani family, governs Erbil and Duhok provinces, while the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, headed by the Talabani family, controls Sulaimani province.
(With files from Agencies)
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