ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Denmark’s foreign ministry on Friday confirmed to Rudaw English the death of one of its citizens in Duhok province, Kurdistan Region on Thursday. Two 28-year-old Danish cyclists, Torbjorn Haubroe Methmann and Johannes William Karlsson, entered Kurdistan Region through Sarzere border crossing with Turkey but lost their way, heading to an unpaved road between Kamberke and Barukhi villages in Kani Masi - where Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighters have clashed for decades. Methmann’s bike hit a roadside bomb, causing his death. Karlsson rushed to local security forces in Kani Masi to help him find the body of his friend. The dead body was recovered late Thursday but it was not clear to the media until early Friday which of the cyclists died. A spokesperson for Denmark’s foreign ministry confirmed to Rudaw English via a phone call on Friday that one of their citizens died in “northern Iraq” as a reference to the Kurdistan Region. She refused to share more information on the citizens and the incident. Rudaw has learned that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the Danish government are in contact to return the dead body of Methmann to Denmark. The road has not been used by people for nearly two decades due to PKK-Turkey clashes. Duhok police claimed in a statement seen by Rudaw on Saturday that the mine that exploded to the Danish tourist had been planted by the PKK, calling on tourists “to avoid suspected [contaminated] areas.” The PKK has not commented on the incident.
