Turkish airstrike hits suspected PKK vehicle in Sulaimani province

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A Turkish airstrike targeted a suspected Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) vehicle in Sulaimani province’s Ranya district on Tuesday afternoon, according to a local official.

The airstrike has resulted in material damages in Bokriskan at the base of Mount Qandil in Ranya, according to Bakir Bayiz, the mayor of Pishdar, told Kurdistan 24.

Casualties have not been reported yet.

Footages shared with Kurdistan 24 show smoke billowing in the rural area. 

Security forces have not commented on the incident.

Turkey has recently conducted several airstrikes against suspected PKK targets in Sulaimani province, resulting in a number of casualties.

The PKK and Ankara have been engaged in a bloody military conflict since the mid-1980s, resulting in the deaths of about 55,000 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.

Similar strikes in the past have also been blamed on Turkey, which have resulted in casualties, including senior PKK militants.

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