Suspected Turkish warplane bombards Duhok areas

17-05-2023
Rudaw
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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – A suspected Turkish warplane on Wednesday bombarded several areas in Duhok province, sparking fear among locals of nearby villages, according to locals. 

The bombardment targeted the areas of Sheladze and Deralok in Duhok province and sparked locals among villagers who say that the sound of aircraft can be heard hovering in the sky. 

Sherwan Sargale, a resident of Sargale village, told Rudaw’s Nasir Ali  that the warplanes targeted several positions on the mountains surrounding the village and that the bombardment lasted for around 20 minutes. 

Turkey has intensified its bombardment campaign on Duhok province in recent months, claiming to target fighters of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

The PKK is an armed group fighting for the increased rights of Kurds in Turkey but considered a terrorist organization by Ankara, who frequently targets its positions domestically as well as southward in the Kurdistan Region and Syria. 

Turkey has yet to comment on the bombardment. 

Earlier in May, Turkish planes bombarded a mountain in northern Duhok province but the airstrikes caused no casualties. 

Media close to the PKK has reported an increase in Turkish military activity in the Kurdistan Region, accusing Ankara of trying to create propaganda for the parliamentary and presidential elections which were held on May 14 but advanced to a runoff on May 28, where opposition parties are hoping to end two decades of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s rule. 

Baghdad has repeatedly condemned Turkey’s violations of its borders and called on armed groups not to use Iraqi territory to attack neighbouring nations. Civilians are frequently caught in the crossfire between Turkish forces and the PKK and hundreds of villages have been emptied with families moving in search of safety.
 

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