ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - An unidentified drone targeted a building in Garmiyan administration’s town of Kalar on Friday killing one person, with media affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) attributing the attack to Turkey.
Jamal Ali, the spokesperson for Kalar’s police department told Rudaw that “the attack was carried out with a drone, targeting a house, resulting in the killing of one person.”
Ali added that the police are currently investigating the situation and that the identity of the person killed in the attack remains to be known.
The building in question is used by Tavgari Azadi, a PKK-linked party active in the Kurdistan Region.
Jumaa Karim, Tavgari Azadi’s spokesperson confirmed to Rudaw that the building belongs to the party, despite it not being officially used as a party base but rather as a location to hold meetings at.
Rudaw has learned that the building, located in Kalar’s Awarakan neighborhood, was previously used as an official base for Tavgari Azadi, but was later emptied and has now been used unofficially by the party for a few years.
Rojnews, a media outlet affiliated with the PKK, reported on the attack claiming that Turkish drones targeted “a civilian home” in Kalar, and that the person killed was a civilian.
Kalar Mayor Shahab Ahmed told Rudaw that the person killed was on the rooftop of the house when the drone struck, adding that only the targeted house was damaged, while all other buildings in the neighborhood remained unscathed.
The Turkish defense ministry has yet to comment on the attack.
Turkish officials have repeatedly accused Sulaimani authorities of supporting the PKK. Turkish forces often carry out aerial attacks in the province on the grounds of targeting the group.
On September 18 a drone strike on Arbat airport, located 27 kilometers southeast of Sulaimani, killed three members of the province’s counter-terrorism force. Ankara did not claim responsibility for the strike but asserted that members of the Syria-based People’s Protection Units (YPG) were receiving training at the airport, confirming “the accuracy of the measures” taken by Turkey against Sulaimani.
A flight ban on Sulaimani International Airport by Turkey has been in place since April 3. The Turkish foreign ministry has said that the ban, which is to remain in effect until June 2024, is related to the alleged “intensification” of PKK activity in Sulaimani.
Turkey is also accused of carrying out deadly drone strikes on busy main roads in the province.
In August, a Turkish drone strike targeted a vehicle in Sulaimani’s Nalparez subdistrict, killing three civilians.
