ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) spokesperson on Wednesday reiterated the government’s commitment to supporting the province of Halabja, extended condolences to the families of the two men who lost their lives while combating the recent wildfire, and spoke regarding recent Baghdad-Erbil negotiations to resolve outstanding issues with regard to salary disbursement and the handover of non-oil revenues to the federal government.

A major fire erupted in Halabja’s outskirts on Sunday afternoon, wreaking havoc for three days before it was ultimately controlled on Tuesday evening. The blaze burned over 5,000 dunams of land, spanning at least six villages.

The firefighting efforts claimed the lives of at least two people: An officer of Halabja’s forest police forces, and a local volunteer.

KRG spokesperson Peshawa Hawramani arrived in Halabja on Wednesday to meet with Governor Nuksha Nasih, as well as the families of the two victims.

In a press conference alongside Nasih, Hawramani highlighted the KRG’s support for Halabja during the efforts to extinguish the devastating fire, including continued follow-up from Interior Minister Reber Ahmed, under the instruction of Prime Minister Masrour Barzani.

The spokesperson extended Prime Minister Barzani’s condolences and sympathies to the families of the two men who were killed fighting the blaze.

Hawramani added that he has been in touch with the interior ministry regarding the victims to ensure that their families are appropriately compensated.

“We will visit them too, visit their families, and extend the condolences of the Kurdistan Region prime minister,” he said.

Forest fires have burned around 27,000 dunams of land across the Kurdistan Region in the first half of 2025 alone, according to Fuad Ahmed, head of the Kurdistan Region’s forest police’s media department.

KRG-Baghdad negotiations:

Hawramani also commented on the negotiation process to resolve the disbursement of the Kurdistan Region's civil servants' salaries and the handover of oil and non-oil revenues to Baghdad, saying that a KRG delegation held a three-hour-long meeting with Iraqi negotiators on the topic and that "it is expected that an agreement will be reached today or tomorrow regarding internal revenues."

The Iraqi government’s finance ministry in May decided to suspend funding the Kurdistan Region’s civil servant salaries, arguing that the Region had already exhausted its share of the annual budget in May. The two governments have been engaged in numerous meetings to address their disagreements over oil exports and the handover of the Region's domestic revenues.

"We have taken steps to resolve the issues. There is an intensive dialogue, and 120 billion dinars are ready, and we will send them whenever necessary," Hawramani said at the press conference.

The New Region reported earlier in August that a negotiating delegation from the KRG told authorities in Baghdad that a previously agreed-upon sum of 120 billion dinars in non-oil revenues had been prepared to hand over to Baghdad in exchange for June’s public sector salaries, though demanding that the figure be reduced for the month of July.

The Iraqi Council of Ministers voted unanimously on Tuesday to approve the disbursement of the Kurdistan Region’s civil servant salaries for the month of June, though affirming that the decision is contingent upon the meeting of certain conditions by the KRG.

Baghdad demands that the KRG must oblige International Oil Companies (IOC) operating in the Region to hand over oil to Baghdad, that the federal treasury's share of the Kurdistan Region's non-oil revenues be decided within a week, and that the committees involved in resolving the salary issue must complete their work and submit a signed report to the Iraqi cabinet within a week.

Reporting by Hevi Karam

Updated at 16:30 with comments on Erbil-Baghdad salary and oil negotiations