On 5 December, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq witnessed another episode of civilian casualties as Turkish drones and artillery targeted the Bamarni (Bamernê) region in the province of Duhok. The strike resulted in the death of Ali Cemil, a father of four, and left another citizen injured.
Cemîl Kelaş, a friend of the slain Ali Cemil, expressed his frustration and fear in the face of the intensified Turkish attacks. Speaking to VOA Kurdish, Kelaş said:
“What to do with these oppressors! We can’t go to our village, to our goats, we don’t dare to go beyond the village. The planes are always above us. Turkey is against us.”
Turkey has been conducting regular airstrikes in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, targeting the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Over the past 25 years, Turkey has established numerous military bases in Iraqi Kurdistan to combat the armed group and has carried out cross-border operations against their positions in northern Iraq. However, these operations have often resulted in civilian casualties, causing significant harm to the local population.
Despite Turkey’s claims that its actions fall within the right of self-defence under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, international legal experts and human rights groups argue that these operations violate international law. Iraqi officials have consistently demanded the withdrawal of Turkish troops from Iraqi soil, but Turkey has maintained its stance, asserting its intention to continue military operations against the PKK in northern Iraq.