This historical briefing reviews reports available by 23 April 2026: Iraq’s presidential election on 11 April, attacks on Iranian Kurdish party camps on 14 April, the Qasrak base withdrawal on 16 April, and Kurdish Journalism Day events on 22 April.
11 April: parliament elects Nizar Amidi
Iraq’s Council of Representatives records Nizar Mohammed Saeed Amidi’s election as president on 11 April 2026. Its account gives him 227 votes in the second round, against 15 for Muthanna Amin, with seven invalid ballots. [1] The first deputy speaker’s congratulatory statement, also dated 11 April, welcomed the result while calling for the largest parliamentary bloc to submit a candidate to form a government. [2] Election of the president and completion of government formation were therefore separate steps in the political process.
14 April: Sordash attack and a later casualty report
AFP’s report of 14 April quoted Komala commander Mohammed Hakimi saying that a drone struck Camp Sordash, west of Sulaymaniyah, and wounded three Iranian Kurdish refugees, including a woman in critical condition. Hakimi attributed the attack to Iran and affiliated militias. PDKI representatives separately told AFP that their camp in the Koysinjaq district had been targeted, with no casualties reported there. [3] These are attributed accounts from party representatives. A later Hengaw report, published that evening, identified a wounded Komala member from Mahabad as Ghazal Mawlan and said she had died of her injuries. It reported at least two other wounded members in stable condition. [4] The later report changes the casualty picture from the initial account of three people wounded; the reports should be read in their publication order.
16 April: Qasrak withdrawal and the limits of the announcement
Associated Press reported the final convoy leaving Qasrak on 16 April. CENTCOM spokesperson Tim Hawkins confirmed that major American bases in Syria had been handed over while support for partner-led counterterrorism would continue. [5] The wording concerns major bases and a military transition; it does not establish the departure of every American soldier or the end of every American security role.
22 April: Kurdish Journalism Day and a university symposium
Kurdish Journalism Day fell on 22 April, the day before this briefing. The University of Raparin’s own account documents a symposium held that day by the Kurdish Language Department at its College of Education in Qaladiza. The event focused on media’s role in Kurdish language and literature, with presentations on language in the media and the relationship between literature and journalism. [6] This provides a concrete example of how the anniversary was observed, alongside the newspaper heritage illustrated above. This briefing records these April events as a historical sequence; its dates and reported outcomes should not be read as a description of conditions later in 2026.
Sources and further reading
- Iraqi Council of Representatives, Parliament Elects Nizar Mohammed Saeed President of Iraq, 11 April 2026; official election account and second-round vote totals.
- Iraqi Council of Representatives, First Deputy Speaker’s congratulatory statement on Nizar Amidi’s election, 11 April 2026; government-formation request.
- AFP, Drone Strike Hit Iranian Kurds, Three Wounded: Exiled Group, Arab News, 14 April 2026, 18:36, updated 18:43; direct interviews with party representatives.
- Hengaw, Wounded Peshmerga Dies After IRGC Drone Strike on Komala Camp, 14 April 2026, 20:45; named casualty report and organisational attribution.
- Associated Press, US Completes Withdrawal from Key Base in Syria as Part of a Larger Drawdown, 16 April 2026; field reporting and CENTCOM response.
- University of Raparin, Kurdish Language Department Symposium for Kurdish Journalism Day, 22 April 2026; organiser’s account of the Qaladiza event.