Amid ongoing threats
Turkish military presence forces evacuations in Duhok village
DUHOK – Residents of Dargale village in the Barwari Bala area of Duhok have evacuated their homes under pressure from the Turkish army.
A large contingent of Turkish soldiers, equipped with vehicles and weapons, arrived in the Barwari Bala area several days ago. They established checkpoints between villages and requested identification from residents, as corroborated by videos sent by locals to 964media.
An official source, speaking anonymously, confirmed to 964media that some residents of Dargale have evacuated their homes, with the remaining preparing to leave. The areas surrounding Dargale have witnessed continuous bombardment from Turkish forces for the past three days. Residents of Kani Baze village have also been forced to stay inside to avoid the bombardments.
Hussein Baze, the local administrator of Kani Baze, told 964media, “We are still in our village, but the surrounding areas are under bombardment. As a result, residents do not leave their homes, and tourist areas have been abandoned.”
The deployment of Turkish forces and ongoing strikes are part of Turkey’s operations against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has been fighting for Kurdish rights for decades.
Kamaran Mala Osman, the coordinator of the Community Peacemaker Teams-Iraqi Kurdistan, told 964media that Turkish soldiers entered Dargale village in the Misa Bagi area of Metina Mountain, warning residents to evacuate within 24 hours or face forced removal and bombardment. A resident reported that the Turkish army had threatened them both in writing and verbally.
The Turkish army has been constructing a new 9-kilometer military road in the Barwari Bala area. This road will connect Turkish military bases and outposts in the Kani Masi sub-district, extending to other military roads in the Batifa district and reaching as far as Hakkari province in Turkey, according to Osman.
Since April 23, 2021, Turkey has been conducting Operation Claw-Lightning, establishing four military bases in the Kani Masi area within a week. Over the past three years, Turkey has supplied these bases via helicopters, but the completion of the military road has reduced the need for helicopter transport for logistics and troop movements.
Osman explained that the construction of these military roads has significantly increased the threat of displacement and disruption in the rural areas of the Kurdistan Region near the border with Turkey.