Spokesperson of the KDP Presidency Council in Sulaimani and Halabja Ata Sheikh Hassan told NRT Digital Media that “an unknown force attacked our fourth branch’s office last night. The security forces in Sulaimani are responsible for protecting the lives of the members and properties of the KDP.”

No one was hurt during the incident. The shots were believed to be fired from a vehicle. KDP-affiliated media said that the guards fired back in response.

The security forces quickly responded and blocked all major roads inside the city in an attempt to arrest the perpetrators. No announcement has been made about any arrests.

Although no definitive link has been made, the timing of the attack suggests that it may have been retaliation for an incident on Thursday where Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) Politburo member Mahmoud Sangawi was denied entry to Erbil through a KDP-controlled checkpoint.

The KDP and the PUK are the dominant parties in Erbil and Sulaimani respectively and exercise a high degree of control over the local security apparatus. Their historic rivalry often manifests itself in incidents that violate the rule of law, like last winter when several cadres from each party were arrested in a series of tit-for-tat raids.

Though by no means routine, several attacks on party headquarters in Sulaimani have occurred in the recent past.

On May 12, 2018, eleven people were injured when the local security forces fired on the headquarters of the Change Movement (Gorran). Two months later, several shots were fired at the New Generation Movement's headquarters.

Reporter’s code: 50101