Kurdish security council ‘confirms’ crash of one helicopter, seven deaths

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC) issued a statement on Sunday regarding the recent helicopter crash a few days ago in Dohuk province. 

Despite conflicting reports from multiple sources, the KRSC can only confirm that one helicopter crashed in Duhok province, where all seven people onboard were killed. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has claimed that nine of its elite force members, including the head of the elite force, had been killed in two helicopter crashes. 

According to a preliminary report by the Directorate General of Counter Terrorism (CTD), the crash occurred on the night of March 15 in the Chamanke subdistrict in Duhok province and some of the seven killed were members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). 

The helicopter was flying between Sulaimani and Rojava (northeast Syria) without notifying the formal security establishments of the Kurdistan Region, the Council said.

A party in Sulaimani has been facilitating the relationship between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) "secretly and informally" and had provided them assistance, per the intelligence of the Council.

The helicopter was supposed to land at a base in Sulaimani, from Rojava (northeast Syria), the intelligence statement concluded.