Turkish Military in Iraq & Syria

An internally displaced Kurdish family in northern Iraq, 2016 (Maranie R. Staab)

Belligerent
Turkish Military
Country
Iraq
start date
end date
Civilian Harm Status
Belligerent Assessment
Declassified Documents
Infrastructure

Incident Code

TI026a

Incident date

August 19, 2019

Location

بملة, Bole, Qandil, Iraq

Geolocation

36.43356, 44.96506 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Three or four civilians were wounded in an alleged Turkish airstrike on Bole village, according to sources.

ANF reported: “Two houses were greatly damaged by the bombardments in Bole village and four civilians were wounded. One of these, named Ehmed Ebdullah, is reported to be in a critical condition.”

Kurdistan 24 said three civilians were wounded in the strike.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Ehmed Ebdullah
Adult male injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    3–4
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Ehmed Ebdullah, wounded in an alleged Turkish strike on Bole village, Aug 19th 2019 (via ANF)
  • An ambulance attends the scene of an alleged Turkish strike on Bole village, Aug 19th 2016 (via Rudaw)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Bole (بملة) for which the generic coordinates are: 36.43356, 44.96506. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Turkish Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Turkish Military
  • Turkish Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    3–4
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TI026

Incident date

July 19, 2019

Location

مخيم الشهيد روستم جودي, Martyr Rustam Jodi Camp, Mosul, Iraq

Geolocation

35.759886, 43.605080 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Alleged Turkish forces shelled Martyr Rustam Joudi refugee camp in Makhmour and wounded two people around 3.15 am on July 19th, according to local sources.

Dwarozh News reported that Laila Arzou, the Joint Chief of Martyr Rostam Jodi camp, called on the United Nations and the federal government to protect civilians from Turkish shelling.

No other details are known at this time.

The incident occured at approximately 3:15 am local time.

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Video of the incident

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the Martyr Rustam Jodi Camp (مخيم الشهيد روستم جودي) in Makhmur (مخمور). Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for the camp are: 35.759886, 43.605080.

Turkish Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Turkish Military
  • Turkish Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TI025

Incident date

July 18, 2019

Location

سبيتدار, Spindar, Dohuk, Iraq

Geolocation

37.035278, 43.571111 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between three and five civilians were reported injured when Turkish airstrikes struck the village of Spindar in the evening of July 18th.

Bas News reported that Turkish warplanes shelled several positions in the village Spindar with rockets, while “chasing a car for the militants of the Kurdistan Workers, where the gunmen hid in the village”. The source added that the strikes injured a number of citizens and that the villagers detained the three PKK militants who were hiding in the village.

According to local source @VagerSaadulah however, the airstrike wounded the three PKK fighters who were in the car when it was struck and an additional three civilians on the side road. One civilian was a German citizen, according to the source.

Rudaw said five civilians were injured, five of them children.

The incident occured in the evening.

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    3–5
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military
  • Belligerents reported injured
    3

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Car allegedly hit by a Turkish airstrike on Spindar village in Dohuk on July 18th (via Roj News).
  • Car allegedly hit by a Turkish airstrike on Spindar village in Dohuk on July 18th (via Roj News).

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Spindar (سبيندار) for which the generic coordinates are: 37.035278, 43.571111. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Turkish Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Turkish Military
  • Turkish Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    3–5
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military
  • Belligerents reported injured
    3

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TI024a IRI002

Incident date

July 10, 2019

Location

ديري, Dere, Erbil, Iraq

Geolocation

37.098683, 43.520804 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One to two civilians, including an 18-year-old girl, were killed and up to four others injured in alleged Turkish or Iranian artillery strikes in the Bradost region of Iraqi Kurdistan on July 10th, 2019 according to local media reports.

Al-Monitor reported that Iranian artillery shelled the Sidakan border area in Erbil province on July 10th killing a civilian and wounding two others.

ANF said both Iran and Turkey carried out strikes in the area that resulted in the deaths of two civilians and injured four others.

Ihsan Chalabi, mayor of Sidakan town, told Al-Monitor: “On [July 10] at 12:10 p.m. local time, on grounds of targeting the Iranian opposition groups in the region, Iranian artillery shelled areas of Barbazin and Dere, and the villages of Dustanan, Zhuzhila and Talan. Unfortunately, a Kurdish girl named Zaitun Qadir, 18 years old, was martyred, and two of her brothers — Ali, 14 years, and Sirwan, aged 23, were severely injured.”

“The civilians were engaged with agricultural work in Dere village when the Islamic Republic of Iran’s artillery hit them. Consequently, all orchards and wild pastures burned and local citizens evacuated the area. We call on both Iran to halt shelling and the Iranian parties to not launch attacks on Iran from our area, for the sake of protecting civilian lives and their properties.”

Mr Chalabi said that Iran has haphazardly shelled the area from time to time, he insisted there were no clear headquarters and bases of Iranian opposition parties in the area.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Wednesday in a statement condemned the bombardment and said it “will not allow its border to be used for attacking and disrupting the security of neighbor countries.”

ANF reported that at 9 am the following day Iran and Turkey continued to bombard the Balakati and Bradost regions throughout the day with howitzers, mortars and katusha rockets aided by Iranian reconnaissance planes.

It was reported that whilst the villagers tried to extinguish the fires caused by the bombardments, hundreds of hectares of land was burnt.

EKurd Daily also reported that a girl was killed and her two brothers injured. According to the source, the Iranian army also shelled the villages of Kudo, Alana, and Gundzhor in Haji Omaran of Iraqi Kurdistan.

The incident occured at 12:10:00 local time.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

18 years old female killed
14 years old male Brother of Zaitun Qadir injured
23 years old male Brother of Zaitun Qadir injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Single source claim
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 2
  • (1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–4
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attackers
    Iranian Military, Turkish Military

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Iranian army shells Bradost sub-district in Iraqi Kurdistan, July 10, 2019. Photo: Screengrab/Rudaw TV
  • A picture showing what is said to be Iranian shelling of Iraqi Kurdistan, seen in an image uploaded July 11, 2019. - Twitter/@PDKIenglish

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Dere (ديري), for which the generic coordinates are: 37.098683, 43.520804. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Iranian Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Iranian Military
  • Iranian Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Turkish Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Turkish Military
  • Turkish Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Single source claim
  • Strike type
    Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 2
  • (1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–4
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attackers
    Iranian Military, Turkish Military

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TI024

Incident date

June 27, 2019

Location

سنكاسار, Sangasar, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq

Geolocation

36.247996, 45.018967 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Three or four civilians of the same family were reportedly killed by an alleged Turkish airstrike on a civilian car on Berker near Sangasar on June 27th, 2019, according to local sources.

According to ANF, “Three civilians, including children and women, lost their lives and 5 civilians were injured in the attack. Among those who lost their lives are a woman and a 4-year-old child.”

Rudaw said that “four people from one family were killed on Thursday, June 27, 2019, by fighting between Turkey and Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) guerrillas and shelling of two villages at the foot of Mount Qandil.”

Nasnews quoted Iraqi MP Kawa Mohammed saying: “Turkish planes again bombed populated areas of the province of Arbil and killed four citizens and injured five others, all of them unarmed citizens living in the area.”

Hathalyoum reported: “Turkish warplanes bombed two civilian vehicles in the village of Barker in Sangasar district, killing four people, including three from one family and wounding five others.”

Baxtiyar Goran tweeted that there were two children among the injured.

In September 2019, the Christian Peacemaker Teams Iraqi Kurdistan (CPTIK) reported that “on June 27, 2019, the Turkish military fired a rocket at the vehicle of Abdullah Aali Mina killing him along with his daughter, Kurdistan, and his 17-year-old son, Haryad. The blast also wounded five additional family members, including his wife. They were returning home after a day-trip to their family lands in Ashqolka village near Sangasar. Initial reports claim that there was a PKK vehicle in the area and the Turkish military fired upon both vehicles.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (4)

Adult male killed
Age unknown female daughter of killed
17 years old male son of Abdullah Aali Mina
Adult female first name unknown injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 4
  • (1 child1 woman1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    5
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (9) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (15) [ collapse]

  • Two children reportedly injured in the strike
  • Dead bodies following an alleged Turkish strike on Sangasar (via ANF)
  • Dead bodies following an alleged Turkish strike on Sangasar (via ANF)
  • Scenes from the aftermath of an alleged Turkish strike on Sangasar, June 27th 2019 (via ANF)
  • Scenes from the aftermath of an alleged Turkish strike on Sangasar, June 27th 2019 (via ANF)
  • Scenes from the aftermath of an alleged Turkish strike on Sangasar, June 27th 2019 (via ANF)
  • Scenes from the aftermath of an alleged Turkish strike on Sangasar, June 27th 2019 (via ANF)
  • Scenes from the aftermath of an alleged Turkish strike on Sangasar, June 27th 2019 (via ANF)
  • Scenes from the aftermath of an alleged Turkish strike on Sangasar, June 27th 2019 (via ANF)
  • Scenes from the aftermath of an alleged Turkish strike on Sangasar, June 27th 2019 (via ANF)
  • A wounded child following an alleged Turkish strike on Sangasar, June 27th 2019 (via ANF)
  • Scenes from the aftermath of an alleged Turkish strike on Sangasar, June 27th 2019 (via ANF)
  • Scenes from the aftermath of an alleged Turkish strike on Sangasar, June 27th 2019 (via ANF)
  • Scenes from the aftermath of an alleged Turkish strike on Sangasar, June 27th 2019 (via ANF)
  • Scenes from the aftermath of an alleged Turkish strike on Sangasar, June 27th 2019 (via ANF)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Sangasar (سنكاسار), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.247996, 45.018967. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Turkish Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Turkish Military
  • Turkish Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3 – 4
  • (1 child1 woman1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    5
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (9) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TI023

Incident date

June 26, 2019

Location

زين خليل, Zain Khalil, Dohuk, Iraq

Geolocation

36.737683, 44.388548 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Nearby landmark level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One civilian was killed and as many as three others wounded in an alleged Turkish airstrike in the Bradost region of Iraqi Kurdistan on June 26th, 2019 according to local media reports.

25-year-old Mansour Nafie lost his life in the attack, while his brother Bashiu Nafie was injured according to Rudaw. ANF reported that as many as three people were injured.

“At 6pm a Turkish jet was initially spotted overhead in the village of Zini Khalil in Bradost and it started densely bombing at 7pm,” Ahmed Khalil, the village chieftain, told Rudaw.

The two brothers were travelling in a vehicle when they were caught in the airstrike, Khalil said. Mansour Nafih, 25, was killed, and Pashew Nafih, 20, was wounded.

Adnan Ghafour, the physician on duty at the Ashti Hospital in Bradost said Nafih had sustained “serious injures”.

“After treating him with emergency first aid, we refereed him to West Erbil Emergency Hospital,” Ghafour told Rudaw English.

The Turkish defense ministry confirmed late on Wednesday that its warplanes had targeted Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) positions in Zap and Khakurk, “neutralizing two terrorists”.

ANF said the strike took place in the Goshine area of Bradost.

The incident occured at 19:00:00 local time.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Mansour Nafie 25
Adult male Brother os Bashiu killed
Bashiu Nafie 20
Adult male Brother of Mansour injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–3
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Mansour Nafie (via Rudaw)

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–3
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TI022b

Incident date

June 12, 2019

Location

Kany Motel, Dohuk, Iraq

Geolocation

37.086813, 43.527634 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Nearby landmark level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

The Christian Peacemaker Teams in Iraqi Kurdistan reported that two workers of a plant shop were injured in Turkish airstrikes on the town of Amadiya on June 12th, 2019.

CPTIK reported: “On June 12, 2019, The Turkish Military dropped a bomb within Amadiya, just a few blocks from The Kany Motel and Tahini Factory. The bomb landed just in front of a gas station and a plant shop on the main road. Two workers at the plant shop were injured, the large cement roof of the gas station collapsed, and a huge hole made by the impact still blocks half of the road.”

Barzan Sadiq tweeted that “Turkish warplanes destroyed PKK-owned vehicles just metres away from civilian facilities in Amadiya” but made no mention of civilian harm.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • The gas station in Amedi after being hit by an alleged Turkish airstrike on June 12th 2019. (via CPTIK)

Geolocation notes

Reports on the incident mention the Kany Motel, in the proximity of the village of Amadiya(العمدية), for which the generic coordinates are: 37.086813, 43.527634.  Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Turkish Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Turkish Military
  • Turkish Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (2) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TI022

Incident date

June 5, 2019

Location

سدكان, Sedkan, Erbil, Iraq

Geolocation

36.801389, 44.665 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Three Peshmergas, potentially civilian combatants at the time, were injured by an alleged Turkish airstrike on Sedkan.

Rudaw said: “Three militants from the Peshmerga were wounded, one of them in a serious condition, as a result of Turkish shelling on Wednesday around the town of “Sedkan” of the city of Erbil in the Kurdistan Region.

According to the information received, the Turkish warplanes bombed sites of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) early Wednesday morning in the area of ​​Sheikh Zadeh near the village of Merkeh Rash in the vicinity of the town of Sidkan in Erbil.”

Nasnews reported: “The Peshmerga elements rushed to extinguish the fires left by the shelling,” adding that “one of the injured was seriously injured (one hand and one leg was amputated).”

Rojnews noted: “Three Peshmerga troops were wounded” – and published associated images of the casualties.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Khoshoy Mikael
Adult male Peshmerga killed
Muhajer Mikael
Adult male Peshmerga killed
Aziz Jafir
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    0–3
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military
  • Belligerents reported injured
    0–3

Sources (3) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Accoridng to Rojnews, "Three Peshmerga troops were wounded in a Turkish air attack on the Bradost area in northern Holler." (via Rojnews)
  • Accoridng to Rojnews, "Three Peshmerga troops were wounded in a Turkish air attack on the Bradost area in northern Holler." (via Rojnews)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Sedkan (سدكان), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.801389, 44.665. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Turkish Military Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Turkish Military
  • Turkish Military position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    0–3
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military
  • Belligerents reported injured
    0–3

Sources (3) [ collapse]