1 Iraq – Researched and Compiled by the Refugee Documentation Centre
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Iraq – Researched and compiled by the Refugee Documentation Centre of Ireland on 7 February 2017 Any information to indicate the presence of ISIS within the Kurdistan Regional Governorate in Iraq (KRG), (otherwise known as the Kurdistan Region in Iraq (KRI)? An article from the Kurdish Globe states: “The Kurdistan Regional Government's Security Council has announced the arrest of a group of six residents of Erbil who have admitted to being extremists affiliated with the ISIS and planned to conduct terrorist attacks in the city.” (The Kurdish Globe (25 May 2015) Terror suspects planned major bombings in Erbil) A report issued by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan states: “Iraqi Kurdish security forces have arrested ‘several members’ of the Islamic State group (IS, also known as ISIS/ISIL) who worked as part of an ‘underground cell’ to carry out deadly ‘terrorist’ attacks in the city of Sulaymaniyah, the official website of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) reported on 19 January. The arrested IS cell included both Arab and Kurdish jihadists, who had planned to bomb crowded places in central Sulaymaniyah as well as the city's only Shi'i mosque, the Husayniyah Mosque, the website said. The website added that Sulaymaniyah Security Directorate and the Anti- Terror Force had arrested the IS members.” (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) (19 January 2016) Iraqi Kurdish forces arrest Islamic State "underground cell" in Sulaymaniyah) A report from the Thai News Service states: “The Iraqi Kurdistan Region's Security Council in a statement announced that the country has dismantled an ISIL terrorist cell in Erbil province. An ISIL terrorist cell that was preparing to carry out explosions and other acts of sabotage in Iraq has been dismantled, the statement said. It noted that the cell had three members who were from Diyala province and were armed with weapons, explosives and suicide belts. The Iraqi security forces had also earlier disbanded another terrorist cell and seized 18 bombs from them.” (Thai News Service (12 February 2016) Iraq: Iraq Disbands ISIL Terrorist Cell in Erbil) A report from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan states: “More than 40 Islamic State (IS) group ‘terrorists’ who were planning ‘a massive attack and takeover of major institutions’ in Sulaymaniyah have been arrested in Sulaymaniyah and Halabja provinces, Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) media outlets, including PUK-media website, reported on 31 October. An unspecified number of their affiliates were reportedly killed. Reports did 1 not explain when or where the 40 were arrested, nor did they quote any security officials. A report published by PUK-media said that ‘the Asayish [security forces] in Sulaymaniyah, in coordination with the security forces of Garmiyan and western Sulaymaniyah, uncovered some terror networks and arrested more than 40 terrorists in Sulaymaniyah and Halabjah provinces and in Garmiyan and Raparin administrative areas’. The report said that ‘the terrorists were planning to carry out terrorist attacks in Sulaymaniyah province before the Kirkuk raid [on 21-22 October]’, adding that they wanted to ‘attack a number of government and partisan institutions, but their plan failed’.” (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) (31 October 2016) Iraqi Kurds uncover IS "terror" networks, more than 40 arrested) A report from the National Iraqi News Agency states: “Security sources in the Kurdistan region revealed that the security forces had clashed with ‘four militants’ after being spotted south of Sulaymaniyah, two of them blew themselves up, while the third was shot dead and the fourth fled. The sources said in a press statement, ‘four people suspected of belonging to the so-called to the Kurdish Ansar al-Islam extremist organization and closely related to Daesh, were trapped by security forces near Darbandikan, south of Sulaymaniyah.’” (National Iraqi News Agency (NINA) (4 December 2016) Extremist Kurdish Pro-Daesh Gunmen Ambushed South of Sulaymaniyah) This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research and Information Unit within time constraints. This response is not and does not purport to be conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please read in full all documents referred to. References: National Iraqi News Agency (NINA) (4 December 2016) Extremist Kurdish Pro-Daesh Gunmen Ambushed South of Sulaymaniyah http://www.lexisnexis.com (Accessed 6 February 2017) This is a subscription database The Kurdish Globe (25 May 2015) Terror suspects planned major bombings in Erbil http://www.lexisnexis.com (Accessed 6 February 2017) This is a subscription database Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) (31 October 2016) Iraqi Kurds uncover IS "terror" networks, more than 40 arrested http://www.lexisnexis.com (Accessed 6 February 2017) This is a subscription database Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) (19 January 2016) Iraqi Kurdish forces arrest Islamic State "underground cell" in Sulaymaniyah http://www.lexisnexis.com 2 (Accessed 3 February 2017) This is a subscription database Thai News Service (12 February 2016) Iraq: Iraq Disbands ISIL Terrorist Cell in Erbil http://www.lexisnexis.com (Accessed 6 February 2017) This is a subscription database Sources Consulted: Danish Immigration Service Electronic Immigration Network European Country of Origin Information Network Google Human Rights Watch Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Lexis Nexis Jamestown Foundation Refugee Documentation Centre Query Database UNHCR Refworld 3 .