Shafaq News/On Monday, a man was killed while working on his farm in Batifa district northof Zakho, in Duhok of Iraqi Kurdistan, according to a security source.
The sourcetold Shafaq News Agency that the victim, identified as Haji Omar, wasreportedly shot three times by unknown assailants using a silenced weapon.
Authoritiessuspect that elements of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) may have beeninvolved in the assassination, though no further details have been provided.
PKK is aKurdish militant and political organization, primarily based in the mountainousareas of southeastern Turkiye, northern Iraq, and northeastern Syria. Thegroup, which has been involved in an armed struggle against the Turkish statesince the 1980s, seeks greater autonomy and rights for Kurds in Turkey. It isconsidered a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the US, and the EU, though itgarners some support from various Kurdish communities.
In northernIraq, particularly in the Kurdistan Region, the PKK has established a presencein remote and mountainous regions, including areas near the Turkish border suchas Zakho, and the Qandil Mountains.
Zakho, atown located close to the Turkish border in the Duhok Governorate, is astrategic area due to its proximity to both Turkiye and Syria. The region isfrequently a site of Turkish airstrikes and military operations targeting PKKpositions.
The PKK'spresence in the Zakho region has caused tensions with local authorities andresidents, as their activities have led to civilian casualties, displacement,and damage to infrastructure.