Turkish drone strike kills 4 civilians in Iraqi Kurdistan
ShafaqNews/ On Monday, a Turkish military drone strike killed four civilians andinjured another in Iraqi Kurdistan, according to Kamran Othman, a member of theUS-based Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) organization, which monitors Turkishand Iranian violations in the region.
Othmantold Shafaq News that the strike took place at 3:30 p.m. local time, targetinga Toyota Land Cruiser on the main road in the village of Kardajan, part of theRaparin Independent Administration.
"Theattack claimed the lives of four individuals, including two men and twowomen," Othman said. "A fifth person, riding a motorcycle nearby, wasinjured by shrapnel from the explosion."
Authoritieshave yet to identify the victims, and investigations are ongoing to uncover thecircumstances of the incident.
Thestrike is part of a broader campaign of airstrikes conducted by Turkiye invarious parts of Iraqi Kurdistan, aimed at targeting positions of the KurdistanWorkers' Party (PKK). The Turkish Ministry of Defense recently announced thatover 120 PKK fighters have been killed in the past month as part of theseoperations. In an official statement, the ministry described its actions as"essential to counter terrorist threats and safeguard Turkiye'sborders."
Borderareas in Iraqi Kurdistan have long been impacted by Turkiye’s militaryoperations against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a separatist group thathas fought for Kurdish autonomy since the 1980s. While Turkiye justifies thesestrikes as vital for its national security, the conflict has caused numerouscivilian casualties over the years. These operations have sparked widespreadcriticism from human rights organizations, who warn of the dangers posed toinnocent civilians caught in the violence.
