Kirkuk mourns Iraqi fighter killed while fighting with SDF

Shafaq News– Kirkuk

Iraq’s Kirkuk on Saturday buried a Kurdish fighter killed during recent clashes in northeastern Syria between government factions and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), marking the first Iraqi from the province to die while serving in the Kurdish group’s ranks.

Family members told Shafaq News that Ahmed Omar, known as “Ahmed Haiman,” from the predominantly Kurdishneighborhood of Rahim Awa, was killed in the city of Hasakah after joining SDF units tasked with defending Kurdish areas in northern Syria.

The funeral procession drew a large turnout of relatives, friends, and residents in a somber atmosphere. One mourner, Ali Shaker, said the scale of participation reflected the fighter’s standing among Kirkuk residents, urging relevant authorities to “stand by his family and support them during this difficult humanitarian moment.”

The fighting, which had lasted for nearly two weeks, ended with a comprehensive ceasefire announced on January 30. The agreement provides for the deployment of Interior Ministry security forces to the centers of Hasakah and Qamishli, as part of a phased integration of military, security, and administrative structures.

The clashes had sparked demonstrations in several parts of the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, including in Kirkuk, where Kurdish residents rallied in solidarity with Kurds in Syria.