Woman killed by mortar shell on Turkey-Kurdistan Region border: police
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – A young woman was killed by a mortar shell near the Turkish border in the Kurdistan Region’s mountainous north on Saturday, according to local officials.
Citing the woman’s family, Soran Police said the 19-year-old was killed by a mortar shell fired by Turkish forces. She was with her father and uncle at the time of the incident.
“We were informed that a girl named Dunya Rashid, 19, from the village of Halaniya in Sherwan Mazin town was killed on the Turkey-Kurdistan Region borders with a mortar shell,” Hawar Argushi, Soran Police spokesperson, told Rudaw.
Her body had been transferred to Duhok morgue, Argushi said.
The Turkish Army has neither confirmed nor denied the mortar fire, and there are currently no reports in the Turkish media to verify the incident.
Turkish airstrikes and border bombings have previously caused in civilian casualties.
Turkish armed forces have recently expanded operations against Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) bases inside the Kurdistan Region. Soldiers have advanced many kilometers into the Region to target the group’s headquarters in the Qandil Mountains.
The PKK is designated as a terrorist organization by Ankara.
Peace negotiations between Ankara and the PKK failed when the two sides resumed fighting in July 2015.
According to the International Crisis Group at least 3,638 people have been killed in clashes between security forces and the PKK since July 20, 2015, including 441 civilians, 225 youth of unknown affiliation, 1,866 PKK militants, and 1,106 state security forces.
Citing the woman’s family, Soran Police said the 19-year-old was killed by a mortar shell fired by Turkish forces. She was with her father and uncle at the time of the incident.
“We were informed that a girl named Dunya Rashid, 19, from the village of Halaniya in Sherwan Mazin town was killed on the Turkey-Kurdistan Region borders with a mortar shell,” Hawar Argushi, Soran Police spokesperson, told Rudaw.
Her body had been transferred to Duhok morgue, Argushi said.
The Turkish Army has neither confirmed nor denied the mortar fire, and there are currently no reports in the Turkish media to verify the incident.
Turkish airstrikes and border bombings have previously caused in civilian casualties.
Turkish armed forces have recently expanded operations against Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) bases inside the Kurdistan Region. Soldiers have advanced many kilometers into the Region to target the group’s headquarters in the Qandil Mountains.
The PKK is designated as a terrorist organization by Ankara.
Peace negotiations between Ankara and the PKK failed when the two sides resumed fighting in July 2015.
According to the International Crisis Group at least 3,638 people have been killed in clashes between security forces and the PKK since July 20, 2015, including 441 civilians, 225 youth of unknown affiliation, 1,866 PKK militants, and 1,106 state security forces.