Turkish strikes displaced 10 villages in Kurdistan Region this year with 18 civilians killed

ERBIL — According to the latest data from the Community Peacemaker Teams – Iraqi Kurdistan, an U.S.-based human rights organization, Turkish military airstrikes and artillery shelling in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq have displaced residents from 10 villages this year alone, bringing the total number of evacuated villages to 170. The ongoing attacks have also resulted in 18 civilian deaths and four injuries across affected areas.

Kameran Mala Osman, coordinator of CPT’s Kurdish team, told 964media: “This year, the number of displaced villages due to Turkish attacks has reached 170, with most of them concentrated in the border regions of Duhok and Zakho.”

CPT’s latest report reveals that Turkish military forces have established 11 new military bases in the Kurdistan Region in 2024 alone, further cementing their presence in the area. Osman added: “Last year, Turkish warplanes and artillery carried out approximately 1,800 bombardments. This year, the number has decreased to 1,548, but the destruction and human toll remain significant.”

The attacks have caused extensive environmental damage, with approximately 72,000 dunams of forests, orchards, and farmland scorched in multiple areas in the Kurdistan region and Sinjar area in Nineveh.

According to an August report by the CPT, since 1991, 425 civilians in the Kurdistan Region have died, and 420 others have been injured due to military attacks by Turkey and Iran. The report highlights that the majority of these casualties, totaling 845 civilians either killed or wounded, have resulted from Turkish military actions.

Turkey has been conducting military operations against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, in the Kurdistan Region for several decades.

The Turkish Armed Forces have established a permanent presence in northern Iraq since 2018, with multiple military bases and outposts.