Makhmur (; ) is a town and district in northern Iraq, part of the disputed territories, situated approximately 60 kilometers southwest of the city of Erbil and approximately 80 kilometers south-east of the city of Mosul. Makhmur is claimed by both the Iraqi Federal Government and the Kurdistan Regional Government. The former maintains the town's inclusion in the Nineveh Governorate whilst the latter asserts its place in the Erbil Governorate. Control over parts of the town is an ongoing dispute.
Background
During the 2014 ISIL crisis, the town was captured by ISIL militants. Then by the PKK. A volunteer civilian militia to defend the town was created in response. The town was then reclaimed by the Iraqi Army in October 2017.
During the 2017 Iraqi–Kurdish conflict, clashes were reported on the outskirts of the town between Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi army, supported by the Popular Mobilization Forces (also known as Hashd al-Shaabi), until it was fully recaptured by the latter.
Refugee camp
Situated in the Makhmur District is the Makhmur refugee camp, which was founded in 1998. Around 12,000 Kurdish refugees, who fled the Kurdish-Turkish conflict in the 1990s, live in this refugee camp.
It has been subject to continuous drone strikes by the Turkish state.