Kurdish/Arab Violence in Kirkuk

Dozens of armed Kurdish men in Kirkuk attacked Arab tribesmen near the city on Thursday afternoon, according to al-Hayat. The Kurds descended on the village of Hayfa, apparently intent on reclaiming it. Many Sunni Arabs had been given land by Saddam, at the expense of Kurds and Shiites. The head of the Budayr tribe, Kazim al-Hani, said that a fierce battle with light arms ensued, lasting for about half an hour. In the aftermath, the Arab tribes of the area determined to create an armed paramilitary force to defend their land holdings, which comes to about 5,000 acres. The Arab tribespeople also insist that Kirkuk is not a purely Kurdish city.