SHARANSHI, Kurdistan Region — Turkish shelling and airstrikes are a frequent occurrence in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq's border areas with its northern neighbor. People in the village of Sharanshi in Zakho say artillery fire has increased over the past few weeks.
The strikes have just caused material damages, but locals are panicked because of the big bangs.
"Initially we heard a bang. We did not feel it had hit our house. The second shell was not very close. But the third one landed on our house leading to electricity outage instantly. I immediately sent my family outside," Hani Toma Goryal told Rudaw of a Turkish artillery fire which hit his house in the village of Sharanshi village on Friday night.
Sharanshi is a Christian-inhabited village surrounding Darkane town in Zakho, a district in Duhok.
The strikes hit homes two nights previously.
"We do not know what happened to us. We were stuck and did not know where to take shelter. I do not know how we managed to rush outside," Nada Hormiz said.
Locals and their priests are calling on officials to help their houses be protected from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)-Turkey cross-border conflict.
The mayor of Darkane town told Rudaw on Saturday that in the past mortars would land outside populated regions.
"We have a committee reporting all these incidents and lifting them to the [Duhok] province urging an end to random bombings. The [Duhok] governorate and the [KRG] interior ministry should make an official call to end random bombings in the area," Zeravan Mousa said.
Turkey's military announces nearly daily airstrikes in the Kurdistan Region, claiming to target the PKK.
The airstrikes have resulted in civilian deaths.
Reporting by Yousif Musa
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