Sulaimani mountain targeted by unidentified drone: Official

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A mountain in Sulaimani province was targeted by an unidentified drone for the first time without causing any casualties, according to a local official. 

A drone targeted Mount Barzut in Sharbazher town early on Monday without causing any casualties, Mayor Kamaran Hassan told Rudaw’s Nzar Jaza. The mountain is located near Qamish village.  

It is not clear who carried out the attack but the town has previously been attacked by Turkey on the grounds of targeting the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). However, Mount Barzut has not been previously targeted. 

PKK media claimed that the attack was carried out by Turkey, but there has not been any official Turkish claim.

“The area has been bombarded several times. This has concerned us and people,” said Hassan. 

PKK is an armed group struggling for the increased rights of Kurds in Turkey. Ankara considers it a terrorist organization and often targets it at home as well as in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq. 

Two PKK members were killed and one was injured in Sharbazher in June 2021 after their vehicle was hit by Turkish aircraft.

Most of Turkey’s military operations against the PKK in recent years have been carried out in Duhok province and the fighting intensely continues there. However, Ankara also conducts attacks against the group in Sulaimani and Erbil provinces, especially Makhmour refugee camp in Erbil.