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Artillery shelling on Iraq’s autonomous area of Kurdistan killed at the least eight civilians and wounded 20 others, native officers mentioned on Wednesday, blaming the assault on Turkey.
The “fierce artillery bombing” hit a vacationer resort in Zakho, a metropolis on the border between Iraq’s Kurdistan area and Turkey, state TV mentioned.
The Kurdish well being minister mentioned kids, together with a 1-year-old, had been among the many victims, including that all of them died earlier than reaching a hospital. All of the victims had been Iraqi vacationers from different areas.
Witnesses spoke of horror as tour teams had been vacationing within the space on the time of the assault.
Iraq factors finger at Turkey
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi condemned the hurt precipitated to “the life and safety of Iraqi residents” and reserved Iraq’s proper to retaliate.
“Turkish forces have perpetrated as soon as extra a flagrant violation of Iraqi sovereignty,” he mentioned on Twitter.
Al-Kadhimi’s workplace mentioned the Iraqi armed forces had been holding an emergency assembly to debate “the repercussions of the Turkish aggression.”
Turkey usually carries out strikes on the Kurdistan area as a part of its long-running crackdown on the Kurdistan Employees’ Celebration (PKK), which Ankara considers a terrorist group.
Turkey denies involvement
The Turkish Overseas Ministry referred to the airstrike as a “terror assault” and expressed condolences to Iraq.
Ankara went on to induce Iraqi officers to keep away from making statements influenced by “terrorist group propaganda,” an obvious reference to the PKK.
The ministry added that Turkey was able to cooperate in investigating the assault.
An earlier assertion from Turkey’s Protection Ministry mentioned two Kurdish militants had surrendered to a Turkish safety level on the Habur border crossing, about 10 kilometers (16 miles) from Zakho — however made no point out of the shelling.
UN, US emphasize Iraqi sovereignty
The United Nations Help Mission for Iraq known as for a “thorough investigation” and urged “all events” to stop violations.
“Civilians are as soon as once more struggling the indiscriminate results of explosive weapons,” it mentioned in a press release, including that it “emphasizes that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Iraq should be revered always.”
The US State Division additionally echoed the UN workplace, saying: “We reaffirm our place that navy motion in Iraq ought to respect Iraqi sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Spokesman John Kirby informed reporters that Washington additionally emphasizes “the significance of making certain civilians are protected,” whereas refusing to additional touch upon the matter.
Turkey’s offensive in northern Iraq
Turkey launched a brand new offensive in northern Iraq in April in opposition to the PKK. Ankara justified the operation by saying it was defending itself in opposition to terrorist assaults and it had the fitting to self-defense.
The EU and the US additionally record the PKK as a terrorist group.
The group has been waging an insurgency in opposition to the Turkish state since 1984. The battle has claimed tens of hundreds of lives.
The PKK’s presence within the area has hampered very important commerce relations between Iraqi Kurdistan and Turkey, whereas Ankara’s navy operations have difficult its relations with Baghdad.
Turkey has additionally prolonged its crackdown to the broader Kurdish motion in Turkey itself, together with the imprisonment of political leaders and the tried ban of the Individuals’s Democratic Celebration (HDP).
fb/dj (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)
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