Suspected Turkish drone targets Sulaimani province: Official
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A suspected Turkish drone strike targeted Sulaimani province’s Chamchamal district on Wednesday morning, a local official told Rudaw, with no confirmed reports of casualties.
Hemin Bahjat, mayor of Chamchamal’s Aghjalar subdistrict, told Rudaw that two separate drone strikes targeted Tutaqalli village at around 6:00 am and 8:00 am on Wednesday.
There is no currently information regarding material damage and the number of casualties, according to Bahjat who noted that the targeted village had been evacuated two years ago.
Security forces are currently investigating and gathering information regarding the attack, the mayor added.
Residents of Aghjalar told Rudaw’s reporter on the ground that the strikes targeted the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighters in the area and that there were casualties who were transported from the area by the PKK members.
Rojnews, a media outlet affiliated to the PKK, reported on the attack, suspecting Turkey of being behind the strike since it has previously targeted the area.
There have been no comments from Ankara or the PKK on the attacks as of the time of this writing.
In August, a PKK official was reportedly killed and a fighter injured near Aghjalar as a result of a suspected Turkish airstrike.
The attack comes amid an escalation of violence between Turkey and PKK, after the armed group killed 12 soldiers in the Kurdistan Region earlier this week, and Turkey started conducting retaliatory strikes on the PKK and its alleged offshoots in Syria.
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 June 2024, is related to the alleged “intensification” of PKK activity in Sulaimani.
Hemin Bahjat, mayor of Chamchamal’s Aghjalar subdistrict, told Rudaw that two separate drone strikes targeted Tutaqalli village at around 6:00 am and 8:00 am on Wednesday.
There is no currently information regarding material damage and the number of casualties, according to Bahjat who noted that the targeted village had been evacuated two years ago.
Security forces are currently investigating and gathering information regarding the attack, the mayor added.
Residents of Aghjalar told Rudaw’s reporter on the ground that the strikes targeted the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighters in the area and that there were casualties who were transported from the area by the PKK members.
Rojnews, a media outlet affiliated to the PKK, reported on the attack, suspecting Turkey of being behind the strike since it has previously targeted the area.
There have been no comments from Ankara or the PKK on the attacks as of the time of this writing.
In August, a PKK official was reportedly killed and a fighter injured near Aghjalar as a result of a suspected Turkish airstrike.
The attack comes amid an escalation of violence between Turkey and PKK, after the armed group killed 12 soldiers in the Kurdistan Region earlier this week, and Turkey started conducting retaliatory strikes on the PKK and its alleged offshoots in Syria.
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 June 2024, is related to the alleged “intensification” of PKK activity in Sulaimani.