Duhok, Iraq Press, April 19 – One person was killed and 21 others were injured in this northern Iraqi Kurdish city during a police chase of an alleged criminal.

The defendant, Adeeb Khalid, was reported to have tossed a hand grenade in a crowded street to avoid capture by the police. The explosion killed a Kurd and wounded at least 21 others, among them women and children, residents said.

Dahouk is one of three major Kurdish towns which rebel Kurds administer away from the central authority in Baghdad. 

The Kurds now have their own police and security forces. But their unified administration of their semi-independent enclave was dealt a heavy blow when the region’s two main political parties run foul of each other in 1993.

Dahouk, a mushrooming city, is regarded as the crown of Kurdish administration with its vibrant press, Internet cafes and multiparty freedom.

The bloody incident shocked the inhabitants who have been leading a placid life particularly in the past few years.

The police earlier avoided shooting at Khalid but found themselves in a critical situation after he hurled the grenade.

They had him injured first but made it to a house where he put up further resistance, shooting at police and pedestrians ndiscriminately.

Khalid was wanted for theft and a shootout with the police in which two policemen were injured.

He fled outside the Kurdish enclave but returned a year later. Kurdish security put him under surveillance and dispatched a squad to apprehend him.

The incident has raised concerns in Dahouk over the spread of firearms. Kurdish authorities have banned the possession of unlicensed arms but it seems the order is not being carried out effectively.