Iraqi PM approves return of more than 240,000 displaced people to Salahuddin province

The Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi has agreed to allow the return of more than 240,000 displaced people to Salahuddin province, nearly a year after retaking it from Daesh, a local source revealed.

A member of Salahuddin provincial council, Sabhan Al- Jayyad told Anadolu news agency that “the Council received today a formal letter from the federal government with Abadi’s approval to allow the return of displaced people to their residential areas”.

The Salahuddin Provincial Council decided in December last year to allow the return of displaced people starting from mid-February and sent an official request to the government for approval.

Al-Jayyad added that “the decision will include the return of more than 160,000 displaced people to areas north of the province, 50,000 to southern regions and about 30,000 to areas in the east”, noting that a majority of the displaced people are currently residing in Kurdish provinces as well as Kirkuk and Baghdad.”

“The security services in the province will complete preparations for the displaced people to return to their areas”, he said.

Last year, Iraqi government forces retook most of Salahuddin province from Daesh especially Beiji, which includes the largest oil refinery in the country. This followed fierce battles that left dozens of casualties among both government forces and militants. At the time, the security authorities prevented the displaced civilians from returning to those areas, especially north of the province, citing instability and continued attacks from Daesh.

During the last three months the Iraqi forces managed to regain those areas from the militant group.

Daesh continues, however, to have a firm grip over some areas in the province, especially the desert regions bordering Anbar province, west of the country.