Kurdistan Region snow shuts mountain roads, closes Kele border crossing

KURDISTAN REGION — Heavy rain and snowfall across the Kurdistan Region have triggered road closures and travel disruptions, leaving several key mountain routes blocked and halting commercial and tourist traffic at the Kele border crossing in the Raparin administration, according to local officials.

The Zini Warte and Balisan roads, which connect the Soran and Raparin administrations, have remained closed since overnight, while traffic has also been affected on routes linking Soran with Haji Omaran, Sidakan and Mergasor.

Khusrat Sadiq, head of road maintenance in Soran, told 964media that “in general, road traffic has been affected due to heavy snowfall overnight,” adding that local teams are working to clear snow from affected areas. Several vehicles and trucks became stuck, prompting the deployment of civil defense teams to assist.

In Sulaymaniyah’s Pshdar district, officials said heavy snow also blocked the Kele border crossing, cutting off movement for both tourists and commercial traffic.

Pshdar district authorities announced the closure of the crossing starting Sunday due to snowfall on both sides of the route. The district said the measure was intended to protect public safety and urged residents to avoid the Kele road and nearby mountain routes to allow clearance crews to continue their work.

Kele is a border gate between Iran and the Kurdistan Region, linking Sardasht with Pshdar district. More than 40 centimeters of snow were reported in the area.

Weather-related impacts were also reported in Erbil, where rain overnight flooded several homes in the Farmanbaran neighborhood. A 964media correspondent visiting the area said residents reported water entering about 15 homes and damaging several vehicles.

In Shaqlawa district, snowfall closed the main road over Mount Safin. Shaqlawa District Commissioner Swara Akram told 964media that cleaning operations are underway.

The Kurdistan Region typically experiences cold, wet winters, with rain in lower areas and snowfall in higher elevations, and recent forecasts have indicated falling temperatures and continued precipitation across much of the region.