Shafaq News
The scars of destruction remain stark in the village ofTuwailia in Kirkuk, northern Iraq, as if time has stood still since 2014, whenISIS seized the area, leaving behind devastated villages and displacedresidents whose return has yet to materialize.
Located along the main road linking Kirkuk city to Daquqdistrict, Tuwailia lies in an area traditionally inhabited by the Al-Zubaiditribe. Before the ISIS incursion, the village was home to more than 100 housesand dozens of families who relied on farming and livestock.
Nearly 12 years later, access to the village still requirespassing through a checkpoint manned by the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF),and only about 20 families have returned. Most homes remain abandoned,destroyed, or damaged to the point of being uninhabitable. The village’sprimary school is the only government facility rebuilt since 2014, while otherbasic services remain unavailable, with no stable water network, irregularelectricity supply, or municipal services.
Speaking to Shafaq News, Hani Al-Juhaishi, a resident, saidthat Tuwailia has yet to receive any genuine reconstruction project, notingthat most families are unable to return despite their desire to come back dueto the destruction of homes and the lack of essential services. Many residents,he added, own agricultural land but are unable to cultivate it properly becauseof limited government support.
Another resident, Adnan Hamad, told Shafaq News thatfamilies who have returned were compelled to repair their homes using personalefforts and limited resources. “Although the village includes a number ofpublic employees and members of the security forces, this has not translatedinto improved services.”
ISIS first emerged as a major security threat in Iraq in2014, capturing large areas of the country, including parts of Kirkuk, beforebeing territorially defeated by Iraqi forces in December 2017 with support fromthe US-led Coalition. However, the group continues to operate in Kirkuk throughsmall, mobile cells that exploit the province’s rugged terrain. Areas such asWadi Daquq, Zarka, Zghaitun, Wadi Al-Shay, and the Mama Mountain rangestretching toward Al-Dibis and Altun Kupri have remained key hideouts due totheir valleys, caves, and difficult access.
: On ISIS defeat anniversary, Iraq confronts area wakening insurgency
Since early 2025, Iraqi security forces have intensifiedcounterterrorism operations in these zones, relying on coalition intelligence,drone surveillance, and a comprehensive biometric database to track, identify,and eliminate ISIS operatives, significantly reducing the group’s operationalcapacity.
: Tracking down ISIS in Iraq: From rugged terrain to DNA identification
Written and edited by Shafaq News staff.
