Truck drivers block main road between Kirkuk and Sulaymaniyah over checkpoint delays

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Truck drivers in Kirkuk blocked the main highway connecting the city to Sulaymaniyah on Monday, protesting long waiting times and inspection procedures at a security checkpoint on the route. The drivers demanded that authorities resolve the issue promptly. Driver Abbas Khalid said the drivers do not oppose security and inspection measures but want the procedures streamlined and expedited. Fellow driver Aku Shivan said the road closure caused heavy traffic, left elderly citizens stranded, and led to some older people nearly fainting while waiting, urging that the road be reopened immediately. In a separate protest, farmers gathered in front of a grain silo in Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, demanding payment of outstanding dues. In Maysan's Samawa city, a large number of farmers also assembled at a silo to demand the disbursement of their financial entitlements under the wheat procurement program.