10 villages abandoned in latest Turkish incursion

Village in Amedi evacuated as Turkey-PKK conflict escalates

2024-08-27 | 19:01

AMEDI — The village of Jimbilke in Duhok’s Amedi district has been evacuated due to ongoing conflict between Turkish military forces and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK.

Nizar Abbas, the mukhtar (village head) of Jimbilke, told 964media that the village was abandoned on Saturday due to “instability and ongoing clashes between Turkey and the PKK.” He noted that only 8 to 10 families had remained in the village before the evacuation, but it is now completely deserted. Six families relocated to Duhok, while two others moved to nearby villages.

Abbas added that the villagers, who relied heavily on agriculture, left behind most of their possessions. Additionally, one house and approximately 15 acres of cultivated land, including trees and grassland, have been burned.

This marks the third time the village has been evacuated due to recent tensions. While residents had previously returned after the situation calmed, the current circumstances remain unstable.

Kamaran Osman, the coordinator for the Kurdistan team of the Community Peacemaker Teams organization, confirmed to 964media that Jimbilke has been fully evacuated. Since the recent Turkish incursion into Duhok governorate, 10 villages have been deserted, including five in the Kani Masi subdistrict, four in the Gara region, and one in the Batifa district.

Osman warned that ongoing instability, clashes, and continuous bombings have placed several other villages in the Berwari Bala region of the Kani Masi subdistrict at risk of evacuation.

According to statistics from the Amedi district administration, there are 358 villages in the district, of which 201 are deserted.

Chia Berwari, a resident of Jimbilke, shared videos with 964media showing extensive damage to the village, including burned houses and much of the cultivated land and orchards.

Turkey has been conducting a large-scale military operation in Duhok governorate against the PKK. The PKK, an armed Kurdish organization, has been in conflict with the Turkish state since the early 1980s.