Yesterday (11 December), at around 19.30 local time, Turkish war planes bombed the People’s Assembly of Khana Sor (Xanesor), in Sinjar, Roj News reported. There are no casualties but the bombing completely destroyed the building.
Immediately after the bombing, people gathered outside the building in protest at the attack.
Vice co-Chair of Sinjar Autonomous Administration Sêvê Emo made a statement at the scene.
“As you see, planes have hit the Yazidi people again. This building was the Yazidi People’s Assembly. We were doing relief work here, and tomorrow there was to be an event for the martyr Merwan Bedel. And the planes struck here,” she stated.
The Yazidi people protested against Turkey with slogans saying “Bijî berxwedana Şengalê!” (Long Live the Sinjar Resistance).
Emo called on the Yazidi people to resist the attacks.
“I call on all Yazidis to stand up. These are the enemies of the Yazidi community. They attack the Yazidi people every day. I call on all Yazidis: All Yazidis with dignity and honour need to stand up. Take to the streets and take action! Do not allow the Iraqi government to remain silent! Stand up and resist! Enough of slavery and enough of this silence!”
The Kurdish Democratic Community Movement (TEV-DEM) also issued a written statement in response to the 11 December bombing of the People’s Assembly building by Turkish medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). TEV-DEM denounced the silence of Baghdad, Erbil and the UN:
“These attacks by the occupying Turkish state are war crimes, they are using drones against the will of the Yazidi community. The policy of the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) of remaining silent in the face of these attacks is unacceptable. The UN and its affiliated institutions hold responsibility for the massacre of the Yazidis by the Turkish state,” they said.
Turkey started targeting Yazidi self-defence officers after the defeat of ISIS in the region. On 7 December Merwan Bedel Xwededa, the co-chair of Sinjar’s Autonomous Administration, was killed in another Turkish drone strike in the Khana Sor region. His two children barely survived the attack.
Ten people were killed in Turkish air attacks on 16 and 17 August this year including people in a medical facility, and Seid Hesen, a senior commander of the Sinjar Resistance Units (YBS).
