Two dead in suspected Turkish drone strikes on Sulaimani
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - At least two people were killed and two others wounded in drone strikes on several villages in Sulaimani province on Saturday, the governor said on Sunday.
The strikes on Saturday evening hit three villages in Sulaimani's Penjwen district near the border with Iran.
"According to preliminary investigations, as a result of these bombings, two people have been martyred and two others injured," said Haval Abubakir, governor of Sulaimani.
The strikes were carried out by Turkey and targeted fighters of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), an anonymous source told Rudaw.
Abubakir said that he discussed the strikes in a phone call with Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and hoped that "these attacks will end and keep away from the citizens of the region."
The PKK is an armed Kurdish group that for decades has struggled for greater rights for Kurds in Turkey. It is designated a terrorist organization by Ankara, which frequently launches air and drone strikes on alleged members of the group in the Kurdistan Region and Syria.
Ankara has not commented on the latest strikes.
Civilians are often caught in the crossfire of the conflict between Turkey and the PKK. Many families have been forced to flee their homes in the Kurdistan Region's villages because of clashes, especially those in northern Duhok province near the border with Turkey, leaving entire villages empty.
On Saturday, a suspected Turkish warplane targeted the countryside around a village in Duhok province, sparking fear among residents.
A drone strike on April 7 targeted a convoy of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) General Commander Mazloum Abdi in the vicinity of Sulaimani International Airport. US troops were also present among the SDF convoy. Iraq and the SDF have blamed Turkey.
Turkey considers the SDF and its backbone – the People's Protection Units (YPG) – as a Syrian front for the PKK and views the force as a terrorist organization.
The strikes on Saturday evening hit three villages in Sulaimani's Penjwen district near the border with Iran.
"According to preliminary investigations, as a result of these bombings, two people have been martyred and two others injured," said Haval Abubakir, governor of Sulaimani.
The strikes were carried out by Turkey and targeted fighters of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), an anonymous source told Rudaw.
Abubakir said that he discussed the strikes in a phone call with Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and hoped that "these attacks will end and keep away from the citizens of the region."
The PKK is an armed Kurdish group that for decades has struggled for greater rights for Kurds in Turkey. It is designated a terrorist organization by Ankara, which frequently launches air and drone strikes on alleged members of the group in the Kurdistan Region and Syria.
Ankara has not commented on the latest strikes.
This evening, Turkish air forces bombed three villages in Penjwen district in Iraqi Kurdistan and targeted a pick-up truck. There are some casualties but it is not confirmed if they are civilians or combatants yet.#Turkey #Iraq #KRG #droneattack pic.twitter.com/6U10Zf2ZP4
— CPT Iraqi Kurdistan (@cptiraq) April 15, 2023
Civilians are often caught in the crossfire of the conflict between Turkey and the PKK. Many families have been forced to flee their homes in the Kurdistan Region's villages because of clashes, especially those in northern Duhok province near the border with Turkey, leaving entire villages empty.
On Saturday, a suspected Turkish warplane targeted the countryside around a village in Duhok province, sparking fear among residents.
A drone strike on April 7 targeted a convoy of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) General Commander Mazloum Abdi in the vicinity of Sulaimani International Airport. US troops were also present among the SDF convoy. Iraq and the SDF have blamed Turkey.
Turkey considers the SDF and its backbone – the People's Protection Units (YPG) – as a Syrian front for the PKK and views the force as a terrorist organization.