PKK-affiliated force says Turkish drone killed a member in Shingal

01-03-2023
Karwan Faidhi Dri
Karwan Faidhi Dri @KarwanFaidhiDri
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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - An armed group affiliated to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) announced on Wednesday that one of its members was killed in a Turkish drone attack in Shingal district. This comes two days after two PKK-affiliated commanders were killed in a similar assault in the town. 

Ezidkhan Asayish, a security force affiliated to the PKK, said in a statement on Wednesday that a Turkish drone hit one of its vehicles in the Yazidi heartland of Shingal, killing one of its members, Sherzad Shamo Qassim.  

The aerial attack took place at 11:30am local time, according to the statement, reported by PKK media.   

Erbil-based Kurdish counterterrorism forces said Qassim was the head of the Ezidkhan Asayish, adding that one of his guards was killed in the attack as well.  

The Shingal Resistance Units (YBS), which is also affiliated to the PKK, on Monday announced that two of its commanders were killed in a Turkish drone attack in Shingal while going to a wake, adding that a fighter was injured too.  

PKK is an armed group struggling for the increased rights of Kurds in Turkey. Ankara has listed it as a terrorist group. The All-Yazidi YBS and Ezidkhan Asayish were formed by the PKK after ISIS controlled Shingal and killed and kidnapped thousands of Yazidis. They control parts of Shingal. 

Turkey considers both Yazidi groups as offshoots of the PKK and has targeted their positions in Shingal numerous times, killing dozens of their members, including top commanders. 

The presence of PKK-affiliated groups and several other forces in the district has been blamed for insecurity which has prevented thousands of its residents, who fled Shingal in 2014 due to ISIS war, from returning. 

There have been no comments from Turkey regarding both attacks in Shingal. 

The new wave of attacks by the Turkish army comes as Ankara is dealing with disastrous earthquakes which have killed about 45,000 residents of the country since February 6. 
 

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