Two civilians killed by Turkish airstrike in Duhok province

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Two civilians were killed and another two wounded in a Turkish airstrike on Wednesday night in a village in Duhok province.

 

Ismael Mustafa, the mayor of Amedi, confirmed that Turkish jets targeted the village of Gali Rashava in the Deraluk region, killing two and wounding two civilians.

 

Turkey regularly carries out cross-border air raids, targeting alleged PKK positions. It usually targets sparsely populated areas, though tens of civilians have been killed over the years.

 

The bombings have also forced villagers out of their homes in some of the mountainous areas, made pasture lands off limits, and destroyed forests.

 

Turkish jets earlier this week also bombed a village in Sidakan area in Erbil province, causing in material damage.

 

The parliamentary bloc of the governing Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) denounced the airstrikes in a statement as “not justified” and said that the civilian population must not become victims of any armed conflict in the area.

"Unfortunately, due to Turkey’s airstrikes in the border areas of the town of Deraluk in Amedi two civilians were martyred and two are missing," said the KDP parliamentary bloc on Wednesday.

 

The statement said that civilians should not become victims of any armed conflict in the area.

 

"Bombarding Kurdistan Region’s civilian population cannot be justified and we strongly denounce it. Also the forces who have become an alibi for the airstrikes shouldn’t make their rivalry a justification for victimizing civilians and villagers of Kurdistan Region."

 

In operations carried out between January 20 and 22, the Turkish army claimed to have “neutralized” 21 PKK fighters in the Kurdistan Region. The army uses the term “neutralized” to refer to those killed, wounded, or otherwise removed from the battlefield.

 

The PKK has its headquarters in the Kurdistan Region’s Qandil Mountains.

 

Last update: 8:43 am, Jan 24, 2019