Second Turkish airstrike in Iraq’s disputed Sinjar in two days

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A Turkish airstrike on Tuesday targeted a hospital serving rural Yezidi (Ezidi) communities in the disputed Iraqi district of Sinjar (Shingal), a facility allegedly affiliated to the Yezidi Protection Units (YBŞ) militia group, according to local sources who spoke to Kurdistan 24 on condition of anonymity.

The hospital is located in the village of Sikeniye. The number and extent of casualties are not yet clear, although victims were reportedly buried underneath rubble caused by the bombardment.

Moreover, medical sources in the Sinjar hospital reported that several injured people arrived at the hospital.

“They hit a primary health care center in Sikeniye village,” another source said in Sinjar, adding that the day before one YBŞ leader and one of his fighters got killed, and three civilians were injured.

The YBŞ in a statement on Monday said that YBŞ Commander Seid Hesen and his nephew, YBŞ fighter Isa Xwededa were killed the day before.

Moreover, three civilians, Qasim Simo, Şamir Abbas Berces, and Mirza Ali, were injured.

The airstrike on Monday hit Sinjar during the visit of Iraq Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi to the Kocho village in Sinjar, where in August 2014 ISIS killed over 800 people as part of a mass killing campaign targeting Yezidis widely recognized as genocide. 

Read More: Yezidis call for mission to find missing women on 7th anniversary of genocide

The YBŞ consists of members of the Yezidi religious minority group. They are seen as close associates of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a group that has led a decades-long insurgency against Turkey for Kurdish rights.

“Turkey conducted another airstrike today on a YBŞ medical facility in Sinjar,” Murad Ismael, president and co-founder of the Sinjar Academy, told Kurdistan 24.

“A dozen of staff and civilians were killed. I was told this facility provided services to both YBŞ members as well as citizens of the region. We condemn this aggression and again call on the Iraqi government to act.” 

Editing by John J. Catherine