Two Erbil checkpoints decommissioned in Koya district

ERBIL — Authorities in Erbil dismantled two key security checkpoints in the Koya district, the Bistanah Security Checkpoint and the Regay Dashti Koya Security Checkpoint, last month after they were deemed redundant by the Kurdistan Region’s Security Agency and Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani.

Aram Yasin, the spokesperson for the East Erbil Security Directorate affiliated with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, provided details on the decision. “The Kurdistan Region’s Security Agency ordered the dismantling of the Regay Dashti Koya Checkpoint, while the Bistanah Checkpoint closure was directed by Deputy Prime Minister Talabani due to their redundancy,” Yasin explained. He added that surveillance cameras would replace these checkpoints.

Koya district remains the only area in Erbil province under PUK control, contrasting with areas governed predominantly by the Kurdistan Democratic Party. The unique political landscape, especially in the Degala area, is a vestige of the historical civil conflict between the PUK and KDP from 1994 to 1997, which led to the establishment of separate administrations later unified under the Kurdistan Regional Government.

The Asayish forces of both the PUK and KDP maintain a strong security presence with multiple checkpoints at the entrances and exits of cities and towns within their territories. “These two checkpoints had been operational for five years. Their removal is temporary, and they will be relocated as deemed necessary for future security needs,” Yasin commented.

The Regay Dashti Koya Checkpoint was positioned 32 kilometers from Koya district, at the road junction leading to the Ashti sub-district, Dukan district, and Koya district. The Bistanah Checkpoint, 19 kilometers from the district center, previously served routes connecting Dukan, Ranya, and upper Koya districts.