Complex sentence: The mayor of Zakho arrived with a military force on 8 and 9 August to disarm the city, during that time thousands of refugees flocked around the police post in the town when they were told by officials that they would be safe under the Iraqi flag.
Split into simpler sentences: The mayor of Zakho arrived with a military force on 8 and 9 August to disarm the city. During that time thousands of refugees flocked around the police post in the town, where they were told by officials that they would be safe under the Iraqi flag.