Turkey 'strongly condemns' deadly attack in Tuz Khurmatu
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Turkey has expressed "great sorrow" of a recent attack that killed two people and wounded seven more in Tuz Khurmatu, Salahaddin.
"We strongly condemn this despicable terror attack targeting civilians," read a statement from Turkey's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued on Sunday.
Ankara wished mercy upon "two little siblings" who died and a speedy recovery to "seven people injured, mostly women and children and five of whom severely wounded."
The statement claimed a mortar attack was launched from a nearby mountainous area against a district "in Tuz Khurmatu of Iraq's Salahaddin Governorate, mostly inhabited by Turkmens."
Rudaw reported, citing local sources, that a bombardment on Saturday seriously wounded two Hashd al-Shaabi fighters in Tuz Khurmatu.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
Tuz Khurmatu fell to Iraqi forces when they drove the Peshmerga out during their military incursion into the disputed areas, which also include the multi-ethnic city, in mid-October.
Two armed groups, one known to be comprised of Kurds, have since been reported in the area.
The Kurdish group calls themselves "the Liberation Army" and their objective is to fight Iraqi forces, especially the mainly Shiite Hashd al-Shaabi, who is accused of committing human rights violations against Tuz Khurmatu's Kurdish population.
They are around 200 fighters and include former Peshmerga. They have set up their base east of Tuz Khurmatu.
The second group, whose identities remain unknown, has an estimated 500 members. They had been deployed along the mountain range between Tuz Khurmatu and Kifri, but have reportedly left their positions and moved further south.
"We strongly condemn this despicable terror attack targeting civilians," read a statement from Turkey's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued on Sunday.
Ankara wished mercy upon "two little siblings" who died and a speedy recovery to "seven people injured, mostly women and children and five of whom severely wounded."
The statement claimed a mortar attack was launched from a nearby mountainous area against a district "in Tuz Khurmatu of Iraq's Salahaddin Governorate, mostly inhabited by Turkmens."
Rudaw reported, citing local sources, that a bombardment on Saturday seriously wounded two Hashd al-Shaabi fighters in Tuz Khurmatu.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
Tuz Khurmatu fell to Iraqi forces when they drove the Peshmerga out during their military incursion into the disputed areas, which also include the multi-ethnic city, in mid-October.
Two armed groups, one known to be comprised of Kurds, have since been reported in the area.
The Kurdish group calls themselves "the Liberation Army" and their objective is to fight Iraqi forces, especially the mainly Shiite Hashd al-Shaabi, who is accused of committing human rights violations against Tuz Khurmatu's Kurdish population.
They are around 200 fighters and include former Peshmerga. They have set up their base east of Tuz Khurmatu.
The second group, whose identities remain unknown, has an estimated 500 members. They had been deployed along the mountain range between Tuz Khurmatu and Kifri, but have reportedly left their positions and moved further south.