Suspected Turkish drone strike kills one, injures two at Makhmour refugee camp

NINEVEH — A suspected Turkish drone strike killed one person and injured two others at the Makhmour refugee camp in Nineveh province, the Kurdistan Region’s Directorate General of Counter Terrorism reported Monday.

“A Turkish drone strike targeted a PKK militant base in the Makhmour camp, killing one person and injuring two others,” the statement said. The incident occurred at 9:45 a.m. when a Turkish military drone struck a gathering of PKK members in the camp. Among the casualties was a senior PKK official, according to the report.

The Makhmour camp, located 60 kilometers southwest of Erbil in the Makhmour district, houses at least 12,000 Kurds from Turkey who fled military operations against the PKK. Although officially registered and overseen by the Iraqi government and the United Nations, the camp remains under the control of its residents.

Bewar Amin, a member of the Makhmour Camp Relations Committee, told 964media that an investigation by camp police confirmed “the attack was indeed carried out by a drone.” He explained, “The explosion occurred in a field where a fire had been burning. At that time, a gas canister used to create a makeshift stove fell and exploded, which initially led us to believe the blast was caused by a gas canister explosion, not a drone strike.”

Makhmour is a disputed area southeast of Mosul. It was administered by the Kurdistan Regional Government until October 2017, when security and administrative responsibilities shifted to the Iraqi government.

In May 2023, an Iraqi army unit attempted to take over security at the camp, but residents resisted, refusing external interference. The standoff over control of Makhmour camp continues, with the Iraqi army seeking full authority.

The camp has been targeted multiple times by Turkish air and drone strikes aimed at alleged PKK members, leading to civilian casualties. On Sept. 13, Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization announced it had “neutralized” a senior PKK member, identified as Azad Akinci, responsible for the group’s activities in the camp.