Amirli (; ) also spelt Amerli, is a predominantly

Shia Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political successor (caliph) and as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community (imam). However, his right is understood ...

Turkmen town in

Saladin Governorate The Saladin, Salah ad Din, or Salah Al-Din Governorate (, ) is one of Iraq's 19 governorates, north of Baghdad. It has an area of , with an estimated population of 1,042,200 people in 2003. It is made up of 8 districts, with the capital being T ...

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

, approximately 100 km from the Iranian border. It is the centre of a farming region.

History

2007 bombing

On June 7, 2007, a bombing in the marketplace of Amirli, killed 165 people and injured 350.

2014 siege by ISIS

The town, and its nearly 20,000

Turkmen, was besieged by the

ISIL The Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Daesh, is a transnational Salafi jihadist organization and unrecognized quasi-state. IS occupied signif ...

starting in June 2014. It was running out of food, water, and supplies. A U.N. representative stated, "The situation of the people in Amerli is desperate and demands immediate action to prevent the possible massacre of its citizens." On August 31, the Popular Mobilization Forces, Iran, and local Turkmen tribes, managed to break the siege and entered the city, much to the rejoicing of its citizens.

Climate

Amirli has a

hot semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of sem ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

''BSh''). Most rain falls in the winter. The average annual temperature in Amirli is . About of precipitation falls annually.

References

Populated places in Saladin Governorate Turkmen communities in Iraq {{Iraq-geo-stub