Kurdistan
Turkish warplanes bombarded the Gara and Metina mountains in the vicinity of Duhok province on July 11, 2023. Photo: Submitted
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Turkish warplanes heavily bombarded the Gara and Metina mountains in Duhok province early Tuesday, inciting panic and fright in the residents of nearby villages.
Fayaq Birkahini, a resident from Balava village, told Rudaw that the warplanes began bombarding at around 10:20am, targeting four positions on the mountains.
According to the villager, the bombardment has caused a lot of panic for the resident in the nearby villages.
No civilians were harmed in the bombardment, as the targeted area is banned from civilians due to frequent clashes between the Turkish army and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), according to Birkahini.
PKK is an armed group struggling for the increased rights of Kurds in Turkey but is listed as a terrorist group by Ankara.
In the past month, Turkey has intensified its attacks on the villages in the vicinity of Amedi and Akre towns in Duhok. It has been bombing the villages almost on a daily basis under the pretext of targeting PKK fighters.
Baghdad has repeatedly condemned Turkey’s violations of its borders, but has called on the exiled armed groups not to use Iraqi territory as a launchpad to attack neighboring nations.
Civilians are frequently caught in the crossfire between Turkish forces and the PKK and hundreds of villages have been emptied with families moving in search of safety.
PKK announced a unilateral ceasefire in February due to devastating quakes in Turkey and later extended it to include the Turkish elections period. The group ended the ceasefire in June.
Fayaq Birkahini, a resident from Balava village, told Rudaw that the warplanes began bombarding at around 10:20am, targeting four positions on the mountains.
According to the villager, the bombardment has caused a lot of panic for the resident in the nearby villages.
No civilians were harmed in the bombardment, as the targeted area is banned from civilians due to frequent clashes between the Turkish army and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), according to Birkahini.
PKK is an armed group struggling for the increased rights of Kurds in Turkey but is listed as a terrorist group by Ankara.
In the past month, Turkey has intensified its attacks on the villages in the vicinity of Amedi and Akre towns in Duhok. It has been bombing the villages almost on a daily basis under the pretext of targeting PKK fighters.
Baghdad has repeatedly condemned Turkey’s violations of its borders, but has called on the exiled armed groups not to use Iraqi territory as a launchpad to attack neighboring nations.
Civilians are frequently caught in the crossfire between Turkish forces and the PKK and hundreds of villages have been emptied with families moving in search of safety.
PKK announced a unilateral ceasefire in February due to devastating quakes in Turkey and later extended it to include the Turkish elections period. The group ended the ceasefire in June.
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