Turkish shelling targets Duhok province’s rural area: sources

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Turkish forces shelled a rural area in the Kurdistan Region’s Duhok province on Tuesday morning, resulting in no civilian casualties, local sources told Kurdistan 24.

Earlier on Tuesday, Turkish warplanes bombarded the valley of Baze village “four times” in Duhok province’s Amedi area, a local source told Kurdistan 24, without causing any civilian casualties.

The targeted valley is only 500 meters away from populated areas in the village, the source added.

Turkish artilleries and warplanes frequently target alleged positions of its decades-long rival, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), in the border areas of the Kurdistan Region. Despite significant environmental damages direct PKK-Turkey clashes have caused the area, the conflict has resulted in humanitarian casualties as well.

On Saturday, the Turkish Defense Ministry announced it had “successfully completed” its ground military operation, dubbed “Claw-Tiger,” in the Kurdistan Region’s Haftanin area in Zakho.

The ministry also announced that it had “neutralized” 320 PKK militants during the operation as well as destroying positions and caves. Turkish armed forces use the term “neutralize” to refer to killed, captured, and injured PKK fighters.  

The announcement for completion of the operation came a day following Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani’s visit to Ankara.

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In mid-June, Turkey announced ground and air operations – dubbed Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle – against alleged PKK positions inside the Kurdistan Region’s territory.

A Turkish airstrike in Duhok province resulted in four civilian causalities, only four days after Turkey’s launch of the twin military operation. The KRG immediately asked the warring parties to avoid their conflicts in the Kurdistan Region.   

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany