PKK denies killing two Peshmerga in Duhok
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) on Friday denied involvement in the death of two Peshmerga who were killed by a roadside bomb in Duhok province on Wednesday.
Hamdi Jabr, 30, and Ismail Osman, 41, were originally from Qamishli in northeast Syria (Rojava). They died when their military vehicle hit a roadside bomb in Dinarte sub-district on Wednesday. Peshmerga commanders and local authorities blamed the PKK.
The PKK’s armed wing dismissed the claim on Friday, saying the province’s ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) should have not accused them before investigating the incident.
“We were not involved in the September 15 incident in Dinarte against the KDP forces. It is not right for the KDP authorities to accuse our movement before investigating the incident,” said the People's Defense Forces (HPG).
Jabr and Osman were part of a Peshmerga convoy driving on the Kani Toze and Naqib village road when the explosion killed them. Some commanders said there as many as three bombs.
This is not the first time Peshmerga have been killed in areas where the PKK and Turkey are clashing. Several soldiers have been killed since last summer when tensions escalated between the PKK and Peshmerga forces affiliated with the KDP.
The PKK is an armed group fighting for the increased rights of Kurds in Turkey. It is designated as a terrorist organization by Ankara, which carries out regular attacks against the group at home and inside the Kurdistan Region. Turkey launched twin operations against the PKK in northern Duhok province in April that are still ongoing.
Jabr and Osman were buried in Duhok on Thursday. They were affiliated with the Roj Force, a Peshmerga unit made up of people from Rojava.
“It is unfortunate for them to be martyred by some people with Kurdish parents rather than Kurdistan's enemies. This is not the first time that an illegal force, which has invaded a great part of Kurdistan, does cowardly and terrorist actions,” Duhok governor Ali Tatat told Rudaw at the funeral.
Hamdi Jabr, 30, and Ismail Osman, 41, were originally from Qamishli in northeast Syria (Rojava). They died when their military vehicle hit a roadside bomb in Dinarte sub-district on Wednesday. Peshmerga commanders and local authorities blamed the PKK.
The PKK’s armed wing dismissed the claim on Friday, saying the province’s ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) should have not accused them before investigating the incident.
“We were not involved in the September 15 incident in Dinarte against the KDP forces. It is not right for the KDP authorities to accuse our movement before investigating the incident,” said the People's Defense Forces (HPG).
Jabr and Osman were part of a Peshmerga convoy driving on the Kani Toze and Naqib village road when the explosion killed them. Some commanders said there as many as three bombs.
This is not the first time Peshmerga have been killed in areas where the PKK and Turkey are clashing. Several soldiers have been killed since last summer when tensions escalated between the PKK and Peshmerga forces affiliated with the KDP.
The PKK is an armed group fighting for the increased rights of Kurds in Turkey. It is designated as a terrorist organization by Ankara, which carries out regular attacks against the group at home and inside the Kurdistan Region. Turkey launched twin operations against the PKK in northern Duhok province in April that are still ongoing.
Jabr and Osman were buried in Duhok on Thursday. They were affiliated with the Roj Force, a Peshmerga unit made up of people from Rojava.
“It is unfortunate for them to be martyred by some people with Kurdish parents rather than Kurdistan's enemies. This is not the first time that an illegal force, which has invaded a great part of Kurdistan, does cowardly and terrorist actions,” Duhok governor Ali Tatat told Rudaw at the funeral.