Alleged Turkish attack kills Kurdish fisherman in Duhok’s Shiladze

DUHOK, Kurdistan Region - The dead body of a Kurdish man was discovered on Wednesday while covered in shrapnel outside the town of Shiladze, Duhok province, with his family claiming that he was killed in an alleged Turkish attack.

Hussein Haider Piro (52) had left his home on Tuesday morning to go fishing in the village of Sita, which has been largely abandoned out of fear of Turkish incursions nearby.

"I was the first who went to the place [the village]. At first, we discovered his vehicle. We checked the car and it was not damaged at all. At around 12:30 am [on Wednesday] we discovered the body. There were many wound signs on his body, all shrapnel signs. When we discovered the body, it was badly hit," Edris Hussein, Hussein's cousin told Rudaw.

Since April, Turkey has been carrying out intense security operations, dubbed as Claw-Lightning and Claw-Thunderbolt, targeting the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

Several civilians have been killed while scores of villages in Duhok province have been evacuated.

""We kept waiting for him. So when we didn't hear from him, we informed all of them [their relatives], and they went to the spot to look for him. A rocket had hit his chest." Hadiya Shaaban, Hussein's wife said.

Located in northern Duhok province, Shiladze has been on the frontlines of the Turkey-PKK conflict for years. Residents here say they have been neglected by the government.

According to data from local authorities, a total of 353 villages have been abandoned.

Reporting by Ayub Nasri