Turkish helicopter crashes in an oil field near Dohuk

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A Turkish helicopter on Wednesday night crashed in the village of Berkian in Mount Khere in Duhok province, killing all its crew.

An informed source told Kurdistan 24 that the helicopter was a military aircraft and crashed near the camp of an oil company.

The cause of the crash is unknown, but it is estimated that 5 to 7 people were killed in the crash. 

The site of the crash is near the border of Turkey, an area evacuated due to the ongoing conflict between Turkish forces and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

Turkey and PKK have been engaged in a decade-old military confrontation, which has resulted in tens of thousands of causalities from both sides.

Bolstered by its sophisticated drone capabilities, Ankara in recent years has doubled its UAV airstrikes against the Kurdish militant group, particularly in urban centers.

Officials from the Kurdistan Region regularly call on the warring sides to take their conflict outside of the populated border towns, as the long-standing confrontation has displaced hundreds of residents in these rural areas and threatened their livelihood.