Turkish airstrikes claim lives of civilians in northern Iraq, targeting PKK

Two individuals lost their lives on Friday as a consequence of a strike within the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq, as per an official statement. The blame for the attack has been directed towards Turkey.

Turkey has a recurrent history of conducting both ground and air operations within northern Iraq, predominantly targeting the positions held by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The PKK has been engaged in an insurgency against the Turkish state spanning several decades.

Razkar Sarki, an official representing Sheladiz district, revealed that the casualties occurred as Turkish warplanes launched strikes on a remote village situated in the mountainous area of Sheladiz, located within Dohuk province. The incident transpired while the victims were engaged in the activity of picking herbs, resulting in two fatalities and two individuals sustaining injuries.

Media outlets in the vicinity reported that the casualties involved civilians. However, the Turkish military has remained reticent regarding any clarification or acknowledgment of its operations conducted within Iraq.

This unfortunate event marks yet another instance where civilian lives have been claimed in an operation attributed to Turkey. Just last month, on February 20, a similar strike resulted in the deaths of two civilians, according to accounts provided by security and health officials at the time.

Turkey’s military presence within northern Iraq has been notable over the past quarter-century, with the establishment of numerous military bases in the region as part of its ongoing campaign against the PKK, a group classified as “terrorist” by Ankara and its Western allies.

The complicity of both Baghdad and the regional government of Iraqi Kurdistan in tolerating Turkey’s military endeavors has come under scrutiny, with allegations suggesting that economic interests have played a significant role in this accommodation.