ERBIL, Kurdistan Region- Two Zargali villagers whose families were devastated by Turkish airstrikes in August have been released by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) after two days of interrogations.
Soran Omar, chairman of Kurdistan region's parliamentary Human Rights Committee, delivered the update to Rudaw on Wednesday, but added, “We have received complaints that PKK abducted children around the ages of 14 to 15, and they are not letting them see their parents.”
Omar condemned the Kurdish guerrillas in northern Iraq for detaining villagers on allegations of making anti-PKK remarks to the media. Salim Khider and Jegir Jabar were released, said Omar, but the village leader, Ismail Abdulla, remains in detention.
“We are trying our best to rescue him,” Omar said of Abdulla.
“We are very disappointed by the PKK's behavior because they do not have the authority to detain citizens in Kurdistan regional territory,” Omar said.
“If they have anything on anyone they need to ask the KRG government offices.”
Eight civilians were killed in Zargali on August 1 in an airstrike launched by Turkey that leveled most of the village. Ankara has maintained that the strikes targeted PKK fighters who operate bases near the village.
A scathing Amnesty International report pointed to several human rights violations by Turkey. The investigation concluded that there were no PKK checkpoints inside the village, rendering the airstrikes unlawful and inhumane.
Since the ceasefire between PKK and Turkey was broken in July, each group has been attacking on each side of the border. Turkish aircraft and drones have carried out nearly daily missions inside the Kurdistan region, targeting nearby PKK bases
