Peshmerga soldier killed by lightning strike in Makhmur district

MAKHMUR — A member of the Kurdistan Region’s Peshmerga forces died on Monday after he was struck by lightning while on duty in Makhmur’s Dibaga sub-district.

Ghafour Mohammed from the 15th Brigade tragically died Monday after being struck by lightning .

The region’s Ministry of Peshmerga confirmed in a statement that Ghafour Mohammed of the 15th Brigade had died in the strike early Monday.

Mohammed, a resident of Erbil’s Khabat district, was married with three sons and a daughter.

The Kurdistan Region has been experiencing a period of cold weather and rain since Sunday, accompanied by scattered lightning storms.

In a separate incident on Sunday, lightning struck a house in a village within Duhok  governorate’s Bardarash district, causing significant damage to the structure.

The force of the strike reportedly dislodged cinder blocks from the home’s walls and destroyed the roof above one room. Homeowner Salman Salim described the terrifying experience to 964media.

“It was around 5:00 pm,” Salim said. “My children and I were in the courtyard when we saw what looked like a fireball coming straight at us.

“Thankfully it hit the wall and roof instead, and nobody was hurt. We consider it an act of God and are grateful,” he added.