IS chemical attack wounds nearly 3,000
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – On Sunday, Turkmens called on the Iraqi Federal Government and Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to increase efforts to liberate the Shia-Turkmen village of Bashir in southern Kirkuk Province from Islamic State (IS).
In early March, IS lobbed many mortars on the large town of Tuz Khurmatu with mustard gas, eventually killing one and injuring nearly 3,000 people.
In a recent press conference held in Erbil, Turkmen political parties and organizations asked the KRG, Iraqi Federal Government and the international anti-IS coalition to increase their efforts regarding Bashir, which has become a base for IS to attack Tuz Khurmatu.
According to the latest statistics presented at the press conference, 2,600 people have been wounded in Tuz Khurmatu due to mustard gas attacks by the extremists. The one person killed in the attacks was a boy named as Masum Sharif. No further information was provided.
Moreover, Turkmen parties criticized the Iraqi Parliament for not following through on its promises to their community.
On March 17, a parliamentary committee delegation visited Tuz Khurmatu and reported the chemical attack to parliament. However, according to statements at the press conference, the federal government has not followed up with the case.
The committee’s report included 15 points urging the government to liberate Bashir as soon as possible and also noted that Tuz Khurmatu has additionally become polluted due to the mustard gas. The report also asked Baghdad to recognize the situation as “genocide.”
A Kurdistan24 reporter in Kirkuk, Soran Kamaran, stated that some of those injured in the attack were transferred to Baghdad for medical treatments since Kirkuk-area hospitals were unable to care properly for them all. Kamaran further mentioned that several people are suffering from life-threatening conditions and have been sent to Ankara, Turkey to receive proper treatment.
“So far, we have sent 15 people to Turkey to receive medical treatments,” Turkmen activist Suhaila Mohamad told Kurdistan24.
Furthermore, Iraqi and foreign teams have investigated IS attacks on Tuz Khurmatu, and both concluded that the extremists did use mustard gas.
“We call on Peshmerga and all other forces to rescue the people in Tuz Khurmatu by liberating the village of Bashir,” a Turkmen activist in Kirkuk, Istbraq Oglu, told Kurdistan24.
Bashir has been occupied by IS for the past two years. The largest militia in Iraq—Hashd al-Shaabi—has failed to liberate the village despite nearly 20 attempts.
An ancient settlement, Tuz Khurmatu was officially recognized as a town in 1960. Mostly an agricultural town, it is rich with dates and olive trees. The residents are mainly Turkmen.
Reporting by Mewan Dolamari
Editing by Karzan Sulaivany and Benjamin Kweskin