150 displaced families repatriated in Kirkuk: Governor
Displaced families on their way home in Iraq
Kirkuk (IraqiNews.com) – As many as 150 displaced families returned back to their liberated areas in Hawija district coming from the Daquq camp, the Kirkuk governor was quoted as saying on Tuesday.
Speaking to AlSumaria News website, Rakan al-Jubouri said “150 displaced families have returned back to Hawija district in Kirkuk. They were displaced at the Daquq camp, 30 kilometers south of the city of Kirkuk.”
Al-Jubouri called on the repatriated families to “cooperate with security forces to boost Iraq’s security and help them in their efforts to restore stability in the liberated areas.”
In October, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared that Iraqi troops recaptured Hawija, a main town held by Islamic State in the country.
The town had fallen to IS in June 2014, when the militant group seized control of much of northern and western Iraq and proclaimed the creation of a self-styled “caliphate”.
There, Islamic State’s reign forced thousands to flee to refugee camps, while hundreds had been executed by the group for attempting to escape the area or contacting security forces.
The Islamic State group appeared on the international scene in 2014 when it seized large swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria, declaring the establishment of an Islamic “caliphate” from Mosul city.
Later on, the group has become notorious for its brutality, including mass killings, abductions and beheadings, prompting the U.S. to lead an international coalition to destroy it.