Turkey began conducting ID checks at a checkpoint established in the Barwari (Berwarî Bala) area of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) on Friday. This move comes amid ongoing aerial and ground assaults across the region, which have included extensive bombings and the establishment of new checkpoints. According to Rojnews, Turkish soldiers are specifically targeting the Amedi (Amêdiyê) district of Duhok province with the ID checks.
In a related development, a major fire erupted in the Bradost (Biradost) area of Erbil (Hewlêr) shortly after Turkish airstrikes. The fire has caused extensive damage to vineyards and orchards, and residents are reportedly trapped in their homes due to the blaze. The Turkish state’s attacks, in collaboration with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), have led to the burning and evacuation of numerous villages in the KRI.
On the night of 25-26 July, Turkey also targeted 15 villages in North and East Syria with airstrikes. The affected villages include Seyda, Şewarxa, Maranaaz (Merenaz) and others in the Afrin (Efrîn) – Shahba (Şehba) region. The bombings were accompanied by reconnaissance aircraft activity, but detailed reports on the damage are still pending.
Further airstrikes in the Bradost region on Friday resulted in additional bombings of seven areas, including Bnebiya (Berbizina) and Panekeşk. This prolonged bombardment has exacerbated the ongoing fires and damage in the region.
The Turkish military continued its operations into the early hours of Saturday, with renewed strikes causing a major fire near Gelale village in the Sharbazher (Şarbajêr) district of Sulaymaniyah (Silêmanî). According to Kameran Hasan, the governor of the sub-district of Mawat (Mawet), the fire remains uncontrolled and has severely impacted local vineyards and orchards.
On the same day, Turkish drones attacked the environs of Tuteqel village in Chamchamal (Çemçemal) district, igniting another fire that is spreading uncontrollably. The ongoing attacks have made it dangerous for residents to approach the affected areas.
The People’s Defence Forces (HPG), the armed wing of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, reported that there were no deaths from the Turkish bombardments. “Our patriotic people and the public should know that all reports claiming fatalities from these bombardments are false,” they stated. The HPG also noted that the Turkish army has used banned explosives and carried out multiple attacks on the the area they call the Medya Defence Zones and other areas, with no significant losses reported on their side.
