Turkish warplanes bomb Duhok’s Shiladze

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Turkish warplanes on Wednesday bombarded the slopes of Mount Kurazhar, approximately two kilometers away from the center of Duhok’s Shiladze district, spreading panic among nearby residents.

Locals of the district told Rudaw that clashes between Turkish forces and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) had been ongoing since 11:00 pm Tuesday, and continued until the Turkish forces began bombarding the mountain at around 9:30 am Wednesday.

Several artillery shells reportedly fell near residential areas, causing fear and panic among the locals.

There have been no reports of casualties or material damage as of the writing of this article.

This winter has been a violent one in the decades-long conflict between the PKK and Turkey.

Tensions have escalated between Turkish forces and the PKK in Shiladze and Deralok in recent weeks. Clashes between the two sides forced the residents of four Deralok villages to evacuate out of fear for their lives.

Turkey sent its army back into northern Duhok province in April 2022, launching Operation Claw-Lock with the goal of targeting PKK positions in Metina, Zap, Avashin, and Basyan areas. The operation, according to Ankara, aims to remove the PKK from the border area and cut off its access to Turkey.

In addition to having recently upped its attacks against the PKK in the Kurdistan Region, Turkey has also intensified its targeting of Kurdish fighters in northern Syria due to their alleged ties with the PKK.