"Ethnic Clashes in Kirkuk: Iraqi Security Forces Deploy to Restore Order"
Iraqi security forces have been deployed in Kirkuk following ethnic clashes that resulted in the deaths of four protesters. The clashes erupted after tensions escalated over a building in Kirkuk that was previously the headquarters for the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) but has been used as an army base since 2017. The federal supreme court issued a ruling delaying the handover of the building to the KDP, which could further raise tensions. The city of Kirkuk has been a focal point of violence between the Kurdish autonomous region and Iraq's central government. Arab residents and minority groups have protested the KDP's return to the city, claiming past mistreatment under Kurdish rule.