Turkish military vehicle targeted in Kurdistan Region’s Sidakan area: sources
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – A Turkish military vehicle hit a roadside bomb in Kurdistan Region’s Sidakan area on Friday while on patrol, with unconfirmed casualties, according to a senior Peshmerga commander. Media close to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) claims the group was responsible, carrying out an attack and killing several soldiers.
A senior Peshmerga commander in the area, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Rudaw English that a Turkish military vehicle hit an explosive device in Shapana village in northern Erbil province, but he was not personally in the area so “cannot confirm casualties.”
An off-duty Peshmerga fighter, Nazwad Rasheed, lives in the area and was riding his motorcycle around the time the explosion occurred. He was shot at by Turkish forces, causing him to wipe out and injure his hand and back, Ihsan Chalabi, mayor of Sidakan told Rudaw English. He was taken to hospital, and has since been discharged.
The Turkish forces “may have mistaken him for a PKK fighter,” said the Peshmerga commander.
Media affiliated with the PKK reported the group attacked the Turkish military vehicle and killed several soldiers. Roj News put the number of casualties at 10 while ANF said six were killed.
Roj News also reported three Turkish helicopters arrived at the scene to pick up their soldiers.
Turkey has not commented on the incident but its defense ministry said in a statement at midday that they bombed PKK positions in the Kurdistan Region and “neutralized” five fighters. Ankara uses the word neutralized to refer to those killed, surrendered, or otherwise removed from the battlefield.
Payam TV, television channel and mouthpiece of the Kurdistan Islamic Group, published a video purportedly showing Turkish helicopters flying over the area and picking up their dead and injured.
Turkey launched air and ground operations against alleged PKK bases within the Kurdistan Region and disputed territories in mid-June. At least eight civilians have been killed during the operations. The latest person killed was a 60-year-old teacher, Khalid Abdulrahman, who was gathering his livestock from a village that came under a Turkish attack in Duhok province’s Kani Masi area on Wednesday.
Turkey has pursued the PKK in the Kurdistan Region for decades, but its campaign this summer is pushing into populated areas kilometers away from major urban centres.
Dlsher Abdulsattar, mayor of Batifa subdistrict in Duhok province, told Rudaw on Friday, “Turkish forces blew up three civilian houses this morning in Banke Bne village.” This was part of a two-day ground operation in the area, he added. “After this, they ended their operation and returned to their military bases on a nearby mountain.”
Residents of the village had already left their homes so no one was hurt, but the Turkish forces caused a lot of material damage, said the mayor.
Tens of villages have been vacated in Duhok province since Turkey launched its offensive.
A senior Peshmerga commander in the area, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Rudaw English that a Turkish military vehicle hit an explosive device in Shapana village in northern Erbil province, but he was not personally in the area so “cannot confirm casualties.”
An off-duty Peshmerga fighter, Nazwad Rasheed, lives in the area and was riding his motorcycle around the time the explosion occurred. He was shot at by Turkish forces, causing him to wipe out and injure his hand and back, Ihsan Chalabi, mayor of Sidakan told Rudaw English. He was taken to hospital, and has since been discharged.
The Turkish forces “may have mistaken him for a PKK fighter,” said the Peshmerga commander.
Media affiliated with the PKK reported the group attacked the Turkish military vehicle and killed several soldiers. Roj News put the number of casualties at 10 while ANF said six were killed.
Roj News also reported three Turkish helicopters arrived at the scene to pick up their soldiers.
Turkey has not commented on the incident but its defense ministry said in a statement at midday that they bombed PKK positions in the Kurdistan Region and “neutralized” five fighters. Ankara uses the word neutralized to refer to those killed, surrendered, or otherwise removed from the battlefield.
Payam TV, television channel and mouthpiece of the Kurdistan Islamic Group, published a video purportedly showing Turkish helicopters flying over the area and picking up their dead and injured.
Turkey launched air and ground operations against alleged PKK bases within the Kurdistan Region and disputed territories in mid-June. At least eight civilians have been killed during the operations. The latest person killed was a 60-year-old teacher, Khalid Abdulrahman, who was gathering his livestock from a village that came under a Turkish attack in Duhok province’s Kani Masi area on Wednesday.
Turkey has pursued the PKK in the Kurdistan Region for decades, but its campaign this summer is pushing into populated areas kilometers away from major urban centres.
Dlsher Abdulsattar, mayor of Batifa subdistrict in Duhok province, told Rudaw on Friday, “Turkish forces blew up three civilian houses this morning in Banke Bne village.” This was part of a two-day ground operation in the area, he added. “After this, they ended their operation and returned to their military bases on a nearby mountain.”
Residents of the village had already left their homes so no one was hurt, but the Turkish forces caused a lot of material damage, said the mayor.
Tens of villages have been vacated in Duhok province since Turkey launched its offensive.