Mosul, Iraq | THE BLACK EXAMINER | Two Iraqi soldiers and two fighters from the Kurdish Peshmerga forces lost their lives on Sunday during a clash in a mountainous northern area, as confirmed by Iraqi and Kurdish security sources.

In response to this incident, Iraqi Prime Minister and armed forces commander-in-chief Mohammed al-Sudani initiated the formation of a high-level committee to investigate, according to a military spokesperson for Sudani.

The conflict began when fighters of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) evacuated positions near Makhmour on Saturday and handed them over to the Iraqi army. Subsequently, Peshmerga fighters from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) attempted to retake these positions on Sunday, leading to the clashes.

Initial reports stated that two Iraqi army soldiers and one Peshmerga fighter were killed, with an additional Peshmerga lieutenant colonel succumbing to his injuries. Six Iraqi soldiers and five Peshmerga fighters were wounded, with two of the Iraqi soldiers in critical condition.

The clashes continued for approximately two hours before commanders from both sides intervened to defuse tensions. As of the latest information, the Iraqi army maintains control over the mountainous positions, but both sides have sent reinforcements to the area, and the situation is described as “fragile.”

Makhmour is located around 70 km southeast of Mosul and 60 km southwest of the Kurdish capital, Erbil. The last significant armed clash between these two parties occurred in 2017 when Iraqi government forces launched an offensive in response to an independence referendum organized by the Kurdish regional government.