Turkish bombardment damages wildlife, environment in Erbil’s Mergasor district
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Recent Turkish artillery shelling against alleged Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) positions in the border areas between the Kurdistan Region and Turkey have caused significant damages to wildlife and the environment of Mergasor district in Erbil province.
In the past three days, intensive Turkish bombardment targeting suspected PKK positions have caused large fires to forests in the vicinity of Lere village in the Kurdistan Region’s Mergasor district, sources told Kurdistan 24.
The huge fire has not been extinguished yet, the source added. Usually, residents in the areas are reluctant to try to extinguish fires caused by both bombardments as well as airstrikes in fear of being targeted by warring parties in the area.
In parallel, the protected wildlife in the area has also taken a hit by the ongoing instability and continuing airstrikes and bombardment. Mergasor district is located in the Barzan area, which is widely known for its preserved natural habitat.
On Tuesday, Kurdistan 24 reported a Turkish shelling in Erbil province’s Bradost area, near the border with Turkey, which caused environmental damages.
Read More: VIDEO: Turkish artillery intensively bombards Bradost area in Erbil province
In his latest visit to the Kurdistan Region, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian expressed his “sympathy” for the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, suggesting both have become “victims” of “regional tensions and crises” and “pay the price on a daily basis.”
In addition to the civilian casualties and displacement caused by ongoing military clashes between Turkey and the PKK playing out within the Kurdistan Region’s border districts, Turkish bombing is also severely disrupting local agriculture and making it near impossible for farmers to make a living.
Read More: Ongoing Turkish bombing of Kurdistan Region destroys farmers' livelihoods
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has condemned the attacks and demanded that both Turkey and the PKK withdraw from the autonomous region and take their fight elsewhere.
Editing by Karzan Sulaivany