Iran unveils 'sectarian' card to split Iraqi Turkmen community
18:43, 11/03/2015, WednesdayU: Update: 20:58, 11/03/2015, Wednesday
Yeni Şafak
Iran is set to open one more channel to exercise its influence in Iraq through a new game that aims at dividing Iraq’s Turkmen community into the two sectarian-based camps,
An Iranian general has formed a new Shiite militia group to drive out ISIL insurgents from the areas, they firmly control in Iraq, as part of his ambition to extend Tehran’s influence well into this country, according to Iraqi local sources.
The sources inside Kirkuk said the head of Iran's elite al-Quds Force, Qassem Suleimani, met with Shiite tribal leaders in Hanekin and Kirkuk in February to unveil his message in forming of a new militia group to support Iraq on its battle to root out the ISIL insurgents.
The Shia militia, Hashid Shabi is expected to increase the number of its recruits 3,500 until end of March. Fighters in the armed group are mostly from Hanakin, a province close to the border with Iran. But there are newcomers also from Kirkuk.
The influential military chief Suleimani aims to form new battalions including a total of 10,000 fighters until October, all of whom are Shiite Turkmen.
The battalion has sided with Iraqi forces, who have recently launched a major offensive in Tikrit, the hometown of the late Iraqi President.
The operation in Tikrit is feared to fuel further ethnic and sectarian violence as Iran apparently aims to divide Iraq’s Turkmen community into two camps.
Many local residents say they are seriously worried that Iraq’s ethnic groups will have a hostile stance against Turkmen, regardless of being Shiite or Sunni, if Iran fuels any conflict to pit brother against brother.
Local sources inside Tikrit also say Iran has deployed a total of armed 1641 Shiite Turkmen in the areas, inhabited by the country’s minority Sunni Arab community. They see this Shiite deployment another risk which could escalate tension between Shiite and Sunni groups.
Iraqi army and police forces, backed by allied Shiite militias, pushed through neighborhoods of Tikrit, 170 km north of Baghdad.
The troops have been also backed by dozens of tanks and armored vehicles. Heavy clashes with the extremist ISIL militants are underway, according to local inhabitants.
The offensive including 30,000 troops comes before a wider international operation aiming to quell ISIL insurgents from Mosul.
