Aircraft bomb near village north of Sulaimani, setting farmland ablaze
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Aircraft bombed a village in Sulaimani province on Tuesday, burning through a large swathe of farmland, a local official has said.
The bombing struck close to the Sharbazher district village of Galala, approximately 50 kilometers north of Sulaimani city center, at around 11:00 am, Mawat area mayor Kamaran Hassan told Rudaw.
Hassan said he suspected the strikes were carried out by Turkey, who have previously bombed the area "a dozen times".
The strikes did not cause any casualties, but "scorched a large swathe of farmlands and pastures," Hassan said.
The fires caused by the strike have not yet been put out, he added.
Turkey launched ongoing air offensive Operation Claw-Eagle on June 15, with the stated aim of removing bases belonging to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) from Kurdistan Region-Turkey border areas. Operations have mainly, though not exclusively, focused on areas in Duhok province’s Zakho district, where villagers living in its mountains have borne the brunt of the bombing.
Seven civilians have been killed since Claw-Eagle began, and many villages have been abandoned by residents fearful of airstrikes.
The PKK, seeking greater cultural and political rights for Kurds in Turkey, has been in conflict with the Turkish government for decades. It is currently headquartered in the Kurdistan Region's Qandil mountains.
At least 5,000 people have been killed in clashes and attacks since a PKK-Turkey ceasefire collapsed in July 2015, according to the International Crisis Group.
Erbil and Sulaimani province areas close to the Iranian border including Sharbazher are also frequently subject to artillery and drone strikes by Tehran.
A local resident, who submitted a photograph of Tuesday's airstrike to Rudaw, said on condition of anonymity that "villagers have rushed to the blazes to extinguish them."
Less than a week ago, wildfires ripped through Sherbazher district for four days before being brought under control.
The bombing struck close to the Sharbazher district village of Galala, approximately 50 kilometers north of Sulaimani city center, at around 11:00 am, Mawat area mayor Kamaran Hassan told Rudaw.
Hassan said he suspected the strikes were carried out by Turkey, who have previously bombed the area "a dozen times".
The strikes did not cause any casualties, but "scorched a large swathe of farmlands and pastures," Hassan said.
The fires caused by the strike have not yet been put out, he added.
Turkey launched ongoing air offensive Operation Claw-Eagle on June 15, with the stated aim of removing bases belonging to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) from Kurdistan Region-Turkey border areas. Operations have mainly, though not exclusively, focused on areas in Duhok province’s Zakho district, where villagers living in its mountains have borne the brunt of the bombing.
Seven civilians have been killed since Claw-Eagle began, and many villages have been abandoned by residents fearful of airstrikes.
The PKK, seeking greater cultural and political rights for Kurds in Turkey, has been in conflict with the Turkish government for decades. It is currently headquartered in the Kurdistan Region's Qandil mountains.
At least 5,000 people have been killed in clashes and attacks since a PKK-Turkey ceasefire collapsed in July 2015, according to the International Crisis Group.
Erbil and Sulaimani province areas close to the Iranian border including Sharbazher are also frequently subject to artillery and drone strikes by Tehran.
A local resident, who submitted a photograph of Tuesday's airstrike to Rudaw, said on condition of anonymity that "villagers have rushed to the blazes to extinguish them."
Less than a week ago, wildfires ripped through Sherbazher district for four days before being brought under control.