Turkish drone kills three PKK fighters in Penjwen: CTD

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A Turkish drone on Sunday struck a vehicle in the Penjwen district of Sulaimani province, killing three Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighters, according to the Directorate General of Counter Terrorism (CTD).

The strike happened near Zangidar village in Garmk subdistrict at 1:30 p.m.

Previously on Aug. 10, six Turkish soldiers, including a military commander, were killed by the PKK near the Dohuk governorate. 

The PKK and Ankara have been engaged in a bloody military conflict since the mid-1980s, resulting in the deaths of more than 40,000 people.

Bolstered by its advanced drone industry, Turkey has ramped up its drone strikes in recent years, particularly in the urban centers of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, to target suspected PKK positions.

Kurdistan Region officials regularly call on Baghdad, officially in charge of border security affairs, to prevent insurgents and foreign militaries from engaging in hostilities within its territory. Officials have voiced concerns about the increased militia forces presence in the area.

Much of the conflict has been fought in the border areas of the Kurdistan Region, which has endangered the civilian population.

This has caused a strain in relations between the Kurdistan Region and Baghdad, as the Kurdistan Regional Government has accused the Iraqi government of failing to protect its citizens. As a result, the Kurdistan Region has sought to increase its own security forces to protect the area.