ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Clashes erupted following a disagreement between security forces guarding the Kirkuk governor’s office and security personnel of the head of the provincial council on Wednesday, with the two sides engaging in an exchange of fire near the public building.

The altercation began after the security forces denied the entry of Provincial Council Chairman Mohammed al-Hafidh’s vehicle through one the gates of the building, different from the one Hafidh regularly uses, according to a well-informed security source.

Another source confirmed to The New Region that there have been no casualties.

The building has reportedly been closed temporarily following the incident.

Kirkuk Police Commander Fattah al-Khafaji arrives at the governor's office after clashes broke out between security forces guarding the building and security personnel of Provincial Council Chairman Mohammed al-Hafidh over a disagreement pic.twitter.com/raeoCBKYPr

— The New Region (@thenewregion) December 18, 2024

During a controversial meeting in Baghdad in August, attended by nine out of the 16 members of the Kirkuk provincial council, The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan’s (PUK) Rebwar Taha was appointed as governor of Kirkuk, and Hafidh, of the Qiyada Alliance, was appointed as the chief of the council.

The session, disputed by the remaining parties who were not in attendance, ended an eight-month political deadlock which had plagued the formation of Kirkuk’s local administration since the provincial council elections of October 2023.

Kirkuk is an oil-rich, historically-disputed, multi-ethnic city, home to many of Iraq’s different components, including Kurds, Arabs, Turkmen, and Christians. The province has suffered decades of instability and insecurity due to political tensions.