ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Turkish airstrikes reportedly targeted the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Sulaimani province’s Aghjalar subdistrict on Sunday, sources told Rudaw amid contradictory reports surrounding the incident.
A source familiar with the incident, who chose to speak on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that a Turkish strike targeted the PKK in Aghjalar on Sunday morning.
Hemin Bahjat, mayor of Aghjalar, told Rudaw English on Sunday that authorities were contacted about a fire in the nearby village of Chnartu, and that he is unaware of any attack having taken place. “We did not find any remnants of vehicles or casualties,” he stated, adding that the fire had been extinguished. "We have no extra information," the mayor said.
The Erbil-based Directorate General of Counter Terrorism (CTD) released a statement on Sunday afternoon claiming a Turkish drone targeted a vehicle belonging to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), killing an official, near Aghjalar. The statement added that another fighter was injured.
Aghjalar is a subdistrict of Chamchamal in Sulaimani province.
Rojnews, a media outlet affiliated to the PKK, cited unknown sources claiming that Turkish drones bombarded Chnartu village, without mentioning any casualties.
Neither Turkey nor the PKK have made any official comments.
Rudaw’s reporter Peshawa Bakhtyar spoke to villagers and locals of Aghjalar who said they had heard a loud noise, similar to that of a strike, adding that planes were heard flying above overnight.
The Sulaimani-based Patriotic Union of Kurdistan’s (PUK) Counter Terrorism Group (CTG) has not released any comment about the incident.
Last year in May, Turkish drones targeted a vehicle in Aghjalar, killing five passengers, including at least two PKK members, Bahjat told Rudaw at the time. A month later, Turkish state media reported that Turkey’s National Intelligence Agency (MIT) was behind the attack, claiming a commander of the armed group was killed.
Turkish officials have repeatedly accused Sulaimani authorities of supporting the PKK. Turkish forces often carry out aerial attacks in the province on the grounds of targeting the PKK.
A flight ban on Sulaimani International Airport by Turkey has been in place since April 3. The Turkish foreign ministry has said that the ban, which is to remain in effect until January, is related to the alleged “intensification” of PKK activity in Sulaimani.
