Videos published online show villagers in the Soran district in Sulaimani cutting down healthy well-aged trees to use them as firewood to heat their homes for the coming winter.

Life in the mountainous areas of the Kurdistan region could prove challenging especially in the winter as temperatures drop far below zero, although the government prioritizes subsidizing white kerosine to the mountainous region, the people have refused to buy the kerosene at 103,000 IQD, a price that many cannot afford.

People in other areas of the Kurdistan region has refused to buy the fuel at the set price and have also turned to firewood to heat their homes. Some villager have turned tree logging into a business, as demand for firewood has increased, with a load of wood costing between 500 to 600 USD.

The Kurdistan Region Government provides people only one 220-liter barrel of kerosene, even though an ordinary household burns over four barrels to get through the winter.

Since 2020, the price of KRG-subsidized kerosene has increased from 39,000 IQD to 103,000 IQD, as per capita income has decreased due to the Covid19 pandemic and Baghdad’s refusal to spend the KRG-budget share which is mostly to pay salaries of KRG employees.

Iraq is a crisis-hit country with mounting environmental challenges. Just over 1 percent of Iraq is forested and decreasing at an alarming rate, per the Sixth National Report of Iraq to The Convention on Biological Diversity, a state-funded report.

A few hours ago, explosions were heard in several Kurdish cities in western Iran and drones were seen flying over Bokan, according to local sources. Videos published online showed a military helicopter flying over the restive cities of Mahabad and Saqqez.

This morning, several explosions were heard in Marivan, Baneh, Saqqez and Bokan, and several drones flew over the sky, the Oslo-based Hengaw Human Rights Organization reported. In Marivan, several protesters blocked several main roads and burned fire to prevent the advance of security forces. According to media reports, there were deaths and injuries in last night's demonstrations.

According to the Hrana Human Rights Group, the death toll from protests across Iran has reached at least 402 people, including 58 women and many minors, with over 16,000 people detained by Iranian security forces, 524 being university students.

In the meetings, the PUK president and the defense minister discussed the latest military and security developments and measures to eradicate the remnants of ISIS and emphasized the cooperation and coordination between the Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi army, especially in areas where there are security gaps to maintain peace and security in the regions between the Iraqi army and Peshmerga.

President Bafel Jalal Talabani stressed the importance of relations between Iraq and the Kurdistan region and greater coordination between the Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi army. President Talabani said that the security situation in Iraq requires all of us to cooperate and coordinate to protect the country's stability and our people.

They also discussed several joint projects to improve relations and increase military operations. Both sides agreed that protecting the lives of Iraqis and fighting terrorism should be a priority.

Since the 2017 independence referendum of the Kurdistan region, many gaps have developed between the Peshmerga and Iraqi security forces, leading to a security vacuum in the disputed territories that ISIS has used as a safe haven to launch attacks against Peshmerga and Iraqi security forces. On Friday, ISIS terrorists assaulted an Iraqi military outpost, beheading four soldiers.

Reports of air raids on the Kurdistan region’s mountains areas from south in Haabja to north in Duhok were posted at midnight. Close to twenty Turkish warplanes resumed bombed many regions in the Kurdistan region and Rojava, leaving 47 casualties.

Today, Sunday, Turkey announced Operation Claw-Sword against the PKK in the Kurdistan region and Rojava, an area that stretches over a thousand kilometers, in retaliation of the Istanbul blast that killed six people in an Istanbul thoroughfare. Ankara accused PKK for being behind the perpetrator, a woman who was captured following the attack.

“[it is to] retaliate for any treacherous attack on our country,” Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said while supervising the night operation.

Turkish warplanes bombed a forest and Meshtenur Hill near the city of Kobanê three times, injuring a journalist.

In today's air strikes on the Kurdistan Region, Turkey bombed the mountains of the villages of Endze, Zargali, Qalatukan, the slopes of Mount Assos and Mount Kurtaki in the Qandil mountains, and bombed the Garawan village in Akoyan Valley.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that Turkey carried out 28 attacks with 14 warplanes in Rojava, bombing residential areas in the center of Kobanê, Gree Spi, Derk, Shahba, Zrkan and Tel Rafaat, killing a journalist, nine Hezbollah fighters and six Syrian soldiers were killed and about 30 Syrian fighters, soldiers and civilians were wounded.

Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) spokesman Farhad Shami said NATO and the International Coalition against ISIS were tipped before Ankara’s extensive air campaign.

SDF Commander-in-Chief Mazloum Abdi said in a statement that at the Turkish attacks have nothing to do with the Istanbul bombing and that the bombing has been used as an excuse to “take revenge” on the Kurdish people.

Turkey has repeatedly threatened to invade parts of SDF-Kurdish controlled Rojava, citing security concerns that the SDF has denied.

On Saturday, Kurdistan Regional Government Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani visited Shar Hospital, where the injured Sulaimani Friday gas cylinder blast was admitted and all wounded were checked.

Talabani promised them everything he could and told the house owner Haji Sire, the family head whose home was levelled, that their grief was national and everyone sympathized with them.

"Here [Shar Hospital] is your home; you can stay as long as you want,"Qubad Talabani told an injured woman from the blast. The DPM expressed his condolence to the injured who lost 15 family members in the gas leak explosion and wished the injured a speedy recovery.

On November 18, at 7.38 pm, a gas leak explosion levelled a three-story home in Sulaimani's Kaziwa street, killing 15 family members and injuring 12 others. The inhabitants were busy celebrating the birthday of one of their sons. During the birthday party, a house gas plumbing mechanic attempted to fix a leak but ended up exploding the entire building, according to the Sulaimani Civil Defense Department.

On Saturday, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani arrived at Sulaimani to sympathize with the Sulaimani gas cylinder explosion. Sulaimani Governor Haval Abubakir and other top officials accompanied the KRG president. 

We have come to Sulaimani to express our condolences, Kurdistan Region President Barzani told a group of reporters at Shar Hospital in Sulaimani. "Today, everyone in the Kurdistan region shares the victims' sorrows," President Barzani said.

In the press conference, the president thanked Sulaimani Governor Haval Abubakir, Sulaimani Civil Defense Department and healthcare workers, and everyone else for their "amazing" efforts in helping the blast victims.

"The incident has created a shared sympathy across the Kurdistan region which is something we take pride in, and, amazingly, we all unite for such incidents," Barzani noted.

Barzani also talked about calling an investigation into the incident for "why it happened and how we can prevent future incidents,"

On November 18, at 7.38 pm, a gas leak explosion leveled a three-story building in Sulaimani's Kaziwa street, killing 15 family members and injuring 12 others. The inhabitants were busy celebrating the birthday of one of their sons. During the birthday party, a house gas plumbing mechanic attempted to fix a leak but ended up exploding the entire building, according to the Sulaimani Civil Defense Department. The gas cylinder explosion damaged nearby homes and vehicles in the residential area.

Today, Saturday, Kurdistan Region President Barzani arrived in Sulaimani and attended the funeral of the Sulaimani gas cylinder explosion that killed 15 people and expressed his condolences to the victim's families and people of Sulaimani.

Barzani is said to speak at the explosion site in front of the leveled three-story home in Sulaimani's Kaziwa street. The presidential podium is set up at the site, a KurdSat English reporter Kaziwa neighborhood said. 

On November 18, at 7.38 pm, a gas leak explosion leveled a three-story building in Sulaimani's Kaziwa street, killing 15 family members and injuring 12 others. The inhabitants were busy celebrating the birthday of one of their sons. During the birthday party, a house gas plumbing mechanic attempted to fix a leak but ended up exploding the entire building, according to the Sulaimani Civil Defense Department. The gas cylinder explosion damaged nearby homes and vehicles in the residential area.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said in a statement that he extended his condolences to the families of the victims, officials, the people of Sulaimani and the Iraqi government and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.

In addition to Iranian officials, regional and international leaders of previously sent messages of condolence to the people of Sulaimani and the families of the victims.

On November 18, at 7.38 pm, a gas leak explosion levelled a three-story building in Sulaimani's Kaziwa street, killing 15 family members and injuring 12 others. The inhabitants were busy celebrating birthday of one of their sons. During the birthday party, a house gas plumbing mechanic was attempting to fix a leak but ended up exploding the entire building, according to the Sulaimani Civil Defense Department. The gas cylinder explosion damaged nearby homes and vehicles in the residential area.

What Happened? On November 18, at 7.38 pm, a gas leak explosion levelled a three-story building in Sulaimani's Kaziwa street. The house inhabitants were busy celebrating birthday of one of their sons. During the birthday party, a house gas plumbing mechanic was attempting to fix a leak but ended up exploding the entire building, according to the Sulaimani Civil Defense Department. The gas cylinder explosion damaged nearby homes and vehicles in the residential area.

A civil engineer told KurdSat English that the house was completely demolished because of its architecture, as it lack supporting columns and was made entirely from blocks. Now the nearby houses are evacuated, fearing their collapse.  

Houses close to the blast damaged 

Similar incident: A similar gas tank-caused explosion happened in Sulaimani's Rizgary neighborhood but caused only material damage as nobody was at home at the time.

Why did It happen? The natural gas plumber was from Rojhelat and was unlicensed, Sulaimani Civil Defense Department Head Diyar Ibrahim said in a press conference at the site of the incident. As he had worked to fix a possible leak, he might have erroneously set off the explosion as gas continued to build up within the house; the technician's wife was also injured and is currently receiving treatment; the couple were related to the house family, per early reports. 

Causalities: The explosion left 15 dead, eight minors and seven adults. The victims were trapped under rubble, and Sulaimani authorities and volunteers took over 17 hours to recover the bodies. One of the victims was an infant another was a young family. The unprecedented incident drew thousands of people to the explosion site. Sulaimani Governor Haval Abubakir declared a state of national mourning and helped all authorities to unearth the victims as soon as possible. Five of the injured were sent home after brief admission to the hospital. A 13-year-old boy gave in to his injuries at Shar Hospital in Sulaimani, the hospital said in a statement. A man lost his wife, son, and daughter as he left the house just before the blast.

Nation-wide Sympathy: People of Erbil expressed their sympathy with Sulaimani and lit 15 candles on the Erbil Citadel to honor the victims and offered their assistance. Twelve others were injured, and teams are trying to rescue those trapped under the rubble. People all over the Kurdistan region changed their profile pictures on Facebook and other social media platforms to sympathize with the victims and people of Sulaimani.

Candles lit on the walls of Erbil Citadel to honor the victims 

Following the blast, rescue teams from the of civil defense, Asaysh (security forces), Sulaimani municipality, police, healthcare and a large number of volunteers rushed to the scene to rescue those trapped under the rubble of the house. KurdSat's reporters covered the incident for 17 continuous hours.

Help from Kurdish Leaders: PUK President Bafel Jalal Talabani said, "Our hearts go out to the families of the victims of tonight's tragic incident in Sulaimani." Talabani wished speedy and full recovery to the victims and said that the PUK would take on any injured abroad to cure them if needed, and promised to rebuild the levelled house and nearby damaged property, compensate damaged vehicles and cover all fees for the burial of the victims.

International Sympathy: On Friday, US Ambassador to Baghdad Alina L. Romanowski also tweeted in English and Arabic, although not in Kurdish as the victims were Kurdish and said, "our sincere condolences for the tragic loss of life from the gas tank explosion in Sulaymaniya."

"Our sympathies go out to the families of the victims. We wish a full recovery to the injured and send our sincere appreciation to the rescue workers."

Canadian Ambassador Gregory Galligan also offered his "sincere condolences to the family and friends of those killed and injured by the tragic gas explosion yesterday evening in Sulaymaniyah."

Burial: KurdSat News reporter said, At the behest of Haji Mazhar, the house owner, who was injured in the blast and is receiving treatment at the Shar Hospital, all the 14 victims of his family will be buried in Sulaimani's Kalakin cemetery. The body of the gas plumbing technician who lost his life in the explosion would be put to rest in Baneh, Iran. His relatives have come from Baneh and would repatriate his body back to the east and buried there.

Thousands of people mourning at the burial of the Sulaimani gas cylinder explosion victims 

The victims were all buried next to one another and borne to their burial through streets crowded with tens of thousands of mourners. Mourners from other cities of the Kurdistan region refrained from celebrations to honor the victims.

With rising energy prices and poor-quality stoves giving way to natural gas heaters, a large number of families in the Kurdistan region have installed gas cylinders in their houses to heat their homes, that are usually done through the largely unregulated private sector. Infrastructure incidents are common in Iraq and the Kurdistan region, which suffers from poorly enforced safety standards.

According to Hengaw Human Rights Organization, over ten protesters, including minors, were killed by Iran security forces in the past 24 hours. Protesters have surrounded the mayor’s office in Bokan and are likely to take it over.

Hundreds have been killed two months into the unrest, with thousands thrown into jails. According to the Iranian Human Rights Organization, 342 people, including 43 children and 26 women, have been killed since the protests began. 

As the crackdown on protesters intensifies, the UN Human Rights Council is scheduled to meet today to discuss the human rights situation in Iran.

Most victims in the Iran protests are in Rojhelat or Iranian Kurdistan. The protests erupted two months ago when a 22-year-old Kurdish girl died in the custody of Iran’s morality police. 

Today, Thursday, Bashdar Hassan head of a group of lawyers representing the Badinan detainees, told KurdSat English that "another criminal charge was brought against the detainees in Badinan, these charges may delay their release." 

"The indictments are against journalists Sherwan Sherwani, Ayaz Karam and Hariwan Isa," Hassan noted. Erbil security forces (Asaysh) detained the three journalists in 2020. Some of the detainees were released months ago. Still, the three remain in custody, and their freedom has been postponed on more than one occasion. 

Hassan added that the new charges pressed against the Badinan detainees could delay their long-due release. 

He said the prosecutor general of Erbil filed the complaint citing evidence that journalists were accused of signing instead of Shvan Saeed and Guhdar Zebari while they were in solitary confinement for their transference to Sulaimani Correctional Institution for parole and conditional release. Due to "worsening" conditions at Erbil prisons, the political prisoners have often asked Erbil judicial authorities to move them to Sulaimani jails. 

"The charges may delay the release of Ayaz Karam and Hariwan Isa, who were to be released on March 16, 2023, and Sherwan Sherwani's release on June 16. 

The Badinan prisoners detained in Erbil were indicted with conspiring with foreign powers, the US and Germany, to principal backers of the KRG that helped the region fight ISIS. The US closely cooperates with the Kurdistan region's intelligence and military organizations and trains them.

Relatives of the Badinan detainees crying and grieving in front of  Erbil Court of Appeal

On October 7, 2020, Sherwan Sherwani and his activist and journalist friends were detained, leading to a widespread outcry in the Kurdistan region. On February 16, 2022, along with his friends, he was indicted with several "wrongdoings" by the Cassation Court of Erbil and sentenced to six years in prison. The Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani decided to reduce Sherwan's sentence by 50% and that of his comrades by 60%.