The Channel8 team was attacked, and their equipment was confiscated by security forces in Lajan village, Erbil.

This is the second time this week that Channel8 journalists have been targeted while covering the protests in the village.

The recorded footage of the attack shows a security personnel approaching Channel8's Erbil correspondent, Shaima Ahmed, and taking away her microphone. reporter Ayub Warti said that the journalist in the area is under intensive surveillance.

The arrests of journalists occur amid an ongoing extensive deployment of security forces in the area, despite the authorities' assurances last night that they would withdraw.

Protests Erupt Over Local Employment and Refinery Closures

The protest began last week, when residents of Lajan demanded that the government employ local workers or shut down the refineries in the area.

As a result of clashes with security forces on Saturday, one person was killed and several others were injured.

Channel8 Condemns Attacks and Calls for Media Rights Protection

On the same day, a crew of Channel8 was attacked by security forces, and their items were confiscated.

Following the incident, Channel8 Media Corporation condemned the attack and urged “international and local organizations to take a stand against the violation of the rights of Channel8 journalists and all other journalists who are being silenced by security forces in Erbil and Duhok.”

Channel8 stated that they call for journalists to be treated in accordance with journalistic laws and for the voice of the media not to be silenced when it does not serve the interests of any particular party.

NRT Journalists Detained and Released Amid Political Tensions

Meanwhile, a team of NRT journalists was detained in Khabat and was subsequently released. NRT, a Sulaymaniyah-based media company, noted that the two detained journalists are reporter Shiraz Abdullah and cameraman Najmaddin Sidi

NRT stated that their journalists "were arrested by Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) forces, and their journalistic equipment was seized."