Duhok

Peshmerga member killed by suspected Turkish airstrike in Shiladze village

2024-07-18 | 17:11

DUHOK – A member of the Peshmerga forces was killed during suspected Turkish military bombardment in the Zabarian Mountains near Beriske village, located in the Shiladze sub-district of Duhok.

The deceased, Osman Rushdie, 32, a resident and family man from the area, ventured into the Gara mountain range when he was killed. His cousin, Ali Mirwanisi, recounted the incident to 964media. “My cousin went to the mountains early this morning for honey, and at that moment, a Turkish aircraft conducted an airstrike,” Mirwanisi said.

The Peshmerga are the official Kurdistan Region military forces.

Masoud Boti, an aide to the Amedi Health Department director, informed 964media that Rushdie’s body was transferred to the Amedi forensic medical office for examination before being returned to his family. As of now, no other casualties have been reported.

A security source in the Amedi district detailed the timing of the attack to 964media, noting that the airstrike occurred around 5:30 am, shortly after Rushdie entered the mountains at approximately 4:00 am. “A Turkish warplane carried out three airstrikes, resulting in the death of the 32-year-old Peshmerga fighter,” the source said, adding that others were with him, but their current fate is unknown.

Following the attack, relatives discovered only Rushdie’s remains; no others were found at the scene.

This airstrike is part of a broader Turkish military campaign against the PKK in the Duhok governorate, which has already prompted the evacuation of nine villages. The PKK, a Kurdish militant group, has been engaged in a longstanding conflict with the Turkish government over Kurdish rights since the early 1980s.

Kamaran Osman, a coordinator with the Community Peacemaker Teams-Iraqi Kurdistan, highlighted the recurring nature of these attacks. “This is the second time this year that the Turkish army has targeted civilian residents in the village of Beriske,” Osman told 964media. He noted that a previous attack on March 8 resulted in two civilian deaths and one serious injury in the same village.

According to statistics from Community Peacemaker Teams, Turkish airstrikes have killed nine civilians and injured two others in the Kurdistan Region this year. The report further detailed the toll of Turkish military operations in 2023, with 11 civilian deaths and 13 injuries. Duhok Governorate recorded the highest casualties, with five deaths and three injuries, followed by Sulaymaniyah with five deaths and two injuries, and Erbil with one death and eight injuries.