Akitu festival attack in Duhok leaves two injured

DUHOK — A man linked to the Islamic State attacked festivalgoers during Akitu celebrations in Duhok on April 1, injuring two people with a bladed weapon, according to the Kurdistan Region’s Security Council.

In a statement released Tuesday night, the council said the attacker held “terrorist beliefs affiliated with ISIS” and targeted citizens in a market area during both Eid al-Fitr and Akitu festivities.

Security forces arrested the suspect, a Syrian national, shortly after the incident. “Security forces under the Duhok Security Directorate arrested the attacker,” the statement said, adding that an investigation is ongoing and results will be shared with the public once completed.

A police source told AFP the attack occurred in a market where a 65-year-old woman was struck in the head and suffered a hemorrhage that did not require surgery. Her condition was described as stable. A 25-year-old man sustained a minor scalp wound.

Witnesses said the attacker used an axe and shouted “Islamic State, the Islamic State remains” before he was subdued by participants and security forces. Videos circulated online showed the man pinned to the ground.

Duhok Governor Ali Tatar confirmed the arrest during a press conference and said the investigation is ongoing.

The attack took place during Akitu, the Babylonian-Assyrian New Year celebrated on April 1. The festival, observed in the Kurdistan Region since 1992, includes 12 days of rituals, cultural events, and outdoor gatherings.

Iraq’s Christian population has dropped from about 1.5 million before the 2003 U.S.-led invasion to roughly 400,000, largely due to violence and displacement. The rise of the Islamic State in 2014, especially after its capture of Mosul, accelerated the exodus.

While Kurdistan was spared much of the violence during the Islamic State’s occupation, jihadist cells remain active in Iraq, particularly in rural areas, where they sporadically target security forces.

A recent United Nations report said Iraqi counter-terrorism operations have killed nearly half of the group’s senior leaders, though it warned the Islamic State could exploit instability in Syria following the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad to regroup.

AFP contributed to this report