Shkoi Kurdistan-
Turkey’s military failed to take “adequate precautions” to minimize civilian harm during an airstrike in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, according to a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report released on Wednesday.
The report addressed a strike near a resort in the village of Kuna Masi, Sulaimani province on June 25, which killed a Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK) fighter and wounded nine, including six civilians.
“The Turkish military strike on opposition fighters in a resort area seriously injured several civilians and could have harmed many more,” said Belkis Wille, the organization’s senior crisis and conflict researcher. “While the fighters were wrong to put the civilians at risk, Turkey also needs to take all practical precautions to limit harm to civilians.”
The drone strike targeted a store and a pickup truck near Kuna Masi’s water resort, wounding the owner of the store, his wife, and their two children. The pickup truck, parked just outside the store, belonged to PJAK fighters, one of whom entered the store to buy some items minutes before the airstrike.
HRW interviewed Salar Mohammed Salih, a resident of Kuna Masi village and the cousin of the owner of the targeted store.
“He [PJAK fighter] bought eggs and asked Kywan [owner of the store] to pack them in a plastic bag, saying ‘I have a long journey,’” Salih, who was at store minutes before the strike, told HRW.
Turkey launched an air offensive dubbed Operation Claw-Eagle on June 15, with the stated aim of targeting Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) bases in the Kurdistan Region, then launched a commando force ground campaign called Operation Claw-Tiger on June 17. The air offensive has claimed the lives of five civilians and injured several others.
“Human Rights Watch has previously raised concerns about Turkish airstrikes killing civilians in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq,” the HRW report reads.
The organization contacted the Kurdistan Region government (KRG) coordinator for international advocacy, Dindar Zebari, on July 6, who said that the KRG documented heavy bombardment, airstrikes, and artillery shelling from June 16 to 26.
“Turkish attacks during that period killed at least five civilians and wounded dozens more and destroyed property and civilian infrastructure,” Zebari confirmed to HRW. In a June 26 statement, Turkey’s defense ministry denied it had killed any civilians.
“Turkey should conduct impartial, thorough, and transparent investigations to establish whether the attacks were lawful,” HRW’s report read. “The Turkish authorities should compensate victims of any unlawful attacks. Iraqi authorities should also press for Turkish investigations and compensation in the case of unlawful attacks.”
Both the PKK and PJAK use the Kurdistan Region of Iraq as a safe haven from which to launch attacks on Turkish and Iranian security forces. PJAK is considered the Iranian wing of the PKK, but claims it is merely linked by shared ideology.
