At a Glance

• Deforestation has risen amid a shortage of heating oil in the Penjwen area.

• Forest police in Slemani arrested a suspect accused of illegally cutting trees.

• Heating oil has not yet been distributed, and the federal government has not specified a delivery date.

Forest and environment police in Slemani have arrested a man accused of cutting down natural oak trees and burning vegetation near Penjwen, as a shortage of heating oil pushes deforestation higher in one of Kurdistan's coldest regions.

Key Statements and Focus Area

• On the Incident: "On the 4th of this month, we received information regarding an incident of deforestation and illegal encroachment in the border area of Garmik sub-district in Darokhan village." — Slemani Forest and Environment Police Directorate.

• On the Findings at the Scene: "It was revealed that an individual flattened a hillside using a wheel loader (bulldozer) and an excavator, cutting down 15 natural green oak and gall oak trees." — Slemani Forest and Environment Police Directorate.

• Focus Area: The arrest of a suspect for illegal logging in Penjwen and the link between deforestation and the heating oil shortage.

A patrol unit from the Garmik Forest and Environment Police Station went to the scene in Darokhan village and seized a chainsaw, an axe or machete, a pickup truck loaded with freshly cut natural wood, a wheel loader and an excavator.

Police said the suspect had also burned a collection of trees and bushes. He was arrested at the scene under a judicial warrant from the Penjwen investigative judge.

The case comes as Penjwen residents face the winter without kerosene, which has not been distributed in the area. The federal government has said it is ready to send oil, but has not announced when shipments will arrive.

Officials say the shortage has driven more people to cut trees for firewood.

FYI

Penjwen sits near the Iranian border in the mountains of Slemani Governorate and is among the coldest areas of the Kurdistan Region, where winters bring heavy snow and low temperatures.

Kerosene is a main household heating fuel there, so supply delays often push families toward wood.

Oak forests in the Zagros Mountains are an important part of the region's ecosystem, helping prevent soil erosion and supporting wildlife, and cutting them without permission is illegal.

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