Shafaq News/ On Tuesday, authorities warned residents ofthree villages in northeastern Duhok against returning to their homes due toongoing clashes and shelling between the Turkish military and the KurdistanWorkers’ Party (PKK).
Ahmed Zebari, a resident of Napakhi, told Shafaq News, “Wereceived an official notification from the authorities and local figures fromthe Zebari area, instructing us to completely evacuate our village within threedays and relocate to safer, inhabited areas.”
The warning extends beyond Napakhi to the villages ofBirkikore and Kafia. “Residents will suffer significant economic losses, butthey have no choice but to leave to protect their lives,” Zebari said.
Notably, since the start of summer 2024, the Turkishmilitary has intensified operations in the region, targeting PKK positions andfortifications in the Matin Mountain range with warplanes and drones.
In response, PKK fighters have stayed entrenched in cavesand mountain shelters, hindering the success of Turkish operations.
The PKK, designated a terrorist organization by Turkiye, theUnited States, and the European Union, has been engaged in an armed struggleagainst the Turkish state since the 1980s, seeking greater autonomy for theKurdish population in Turkiye.
This decades-long conflict has led to tens of thousands ofdeaths, with Turkiye conducting cross-border military operations to target PKKstrongholds in Iraq and YPG positions in Syria, both of which Ankara views asextensions of the PKK.