Villagers demand compensation, jobs
Local protest planned Zakho military academy training facility
BATIFA —The proposal to build a new training facility for the Zakho Military Academy in the village of Tirkij, within the Batifa sub-district of Duhok, has led to protests by local residents They are demanding employment opportunities for the village’s youth during the construction phase and compensation for those whose lands are affected by the project.
These lands were traditionally used for livestock grazing and agriculture but will be turned into a facility for training military forces.
On Tuesday, Fatah Hussein, the mukhtar of Tirkij, told 964media that while the community does not oppose the academy’s construction, it insists on tangible benefits from the project. “Our two primary demands have been overlooked by the project managers; thus, we refuse to allow work to proceed until these conditions are met,” Hussein said.
Villagers have vowed to picket the proposed site and prevent any work from being carried out by blocking the route of heavy vehicles attempting to enter the area.
964media reached out to the Batifa sub-district administrator, who declined to comment on the matter. Khalil Mahmoud, the qaymaqam of Semel district, noted that the decision was made by the Kurdistan Regional Government cabinet. He stated that the best they could do was to inform the relevant authorities about the villagers’ grievances.
The Zakho Military Academy plans to relocate its training and exercises section from downtown Zakho to a site near Tirkij village in several phases, according to information from the academy obtained by 964media. The move, overseen by the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs, begins with the construction of the academy on a 67 acre plot, with further plans to transfer additional sections.
This decision follows an incident in which a 54-year-old man was killed by a stray bullet during a training exercise at the academy, and several homes were damaged. The tragedy, which occurred in December last year, led the KRG to seek a new location for the military training facilities, away from civilian areas.
The victim, a Yezidi resident of the nearby Chamishko camp, was struck by a bullet from a Kalashnikov in what was described as an ‘accidental discharge,’ according to spokesperson for Zakho Police, Ahmed Ramazan.
Residents near the existing military academy have long complained about the frequent armed training exercises and the constant noise of gunfire, underscoring the need for the relocation to mitigate risks to civilian safety.