LOC16:11
13:11 GMT
BRUSSELS, Oct 19 (KUNA) -- Chair of the European Parliament's Subcommittee on Human Rights Antonio Panzeri expressed alarm Thursday over reports about "terrible crimes in Kirkuk.
Panzeri expressed deep concern at reports that Kirkuk "has become a territory disputed between the government in Baghdad and the Iraqi Kurdistan Region."
"The Iraqi army has advanced towards Kirkuk, thousands of Kurds have already fled the city and there are even reports of terrible crimes being committed against the population of Kirkuk and the neighboring villages," he alleged.
Panzeri welcomed the efforts of Prime Minister Haidar Al-Abadi "to de-escalate tensions by ordering a withdrawal of all armed groups in Kirkuk, including the sectarian Popular Mobilisation Militias (PMU), and the handover of security to local police and counterterrorism units."
"Kirkuk is in almost equal parts home to Kurds, Arabs and Turkmen and also has around 10 percent Christians. Making sure that the city's different factions are able to live peacefully together is one of the greatest challenges of the moment," added the Italian MEP. (end)
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