Three people, including a soldier, were injured on Friday due to an exchange of gunfire between a groom and his relatives on one side and the guards of a political office in Kirkuk, northern Iraq.
In detail, an Iraqi security source informed "Sky News Arabia" that "a groom came with his wife to the headquarters of the Kurdistan National Union in Kirkuk, where newlyweds in the area usually take commemorative photos in front of the venue." However, the guards refused to allow the photo session for the couple "due to the large number of people accompanying the groom," according to the security source.
The source added that "the groom brought more than 13 cars and wanted to enter the political office, which the guards refused, leading to a verbal altercation between both parties that escalated into an exchange of gunfire."
It was noted that two of the groom's companions and one of the guards of the political office were injured and taken to hospitals for treatment, amidst fear and chaos among the attendees, especially women and children.
The source confirmed that "security forces arrived at the location from the Joint Operations Command and arrested several individuals involved in the incident, transferring them to police stations for investigation."
The National Union commented, stating that "the political office opened its doors for photography purposes." Spokesperson Najat Mohammed added, "However, the groom's father, a colonel in the Iraqi army, who had many cars with him, insisted that they all enter the venue, which was refused by the guards." He further noted, "The problem ended, while the security guards filed complaints to the judiciary."
This incident comes at a time when the advisory office of Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi is making efforts to pass a weapons law that includes penalties of 5 to 10 years in prison for two categories.
According to Mohanad Naeem, an adviser to Kadhimi, the law "includes punishing holders of heavy weapons with ten years imprisonment and execution for traffickers, while the penalty for firing random gunshots is five years' imprisonment and confiscation of weapons, in addition to monetary fines."
He added, "The draft law punishes with imprisonment and high fines anyone carrying a weapon during demonstrations, even if licensed," explaining that "the protection of officials will be the responsibility of the Ministry of Interior and officials will not be allowed to carry weapons under the law."
Community circles hope that the new law will help deter those who shoot randomly during events and reduce the rates of clan-related disputes, which are often mixed with blood.
