Turkish Military in Iraq & Syria

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
text search
109 Results
sort by:
Sort by:
Incident date
Civilian deaths alleged
Civilian deaths confirmed by belligerent

Incident Code

TI047

Incident date

August 14, 2020

Location

أرادن‎, Araden, Dohuk, Iraq

Geolocation

37.10894, 43.31806 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Up to three people were killed and another person was injured in alleged Turkish airstrikes on a vehicle in the village of Ardana, Dohuk governorate, on August 14th, 2020. It remains unclear whether the victims were civilians.

Rudaw reported: “The director of Bamerni district, Hamid Zubeir, told Rudaw Media Network that Turkish planes targeted a Hyundai Tucson car inside the village at 11 AM this Friday, in which three people were travelling. He added that the bombing resulted in the killing of two of them and the third was seriously wounded, and their identities are not known, indicating that the security authorities have begun investigating the incident.”

The PUK Media correspondent in Dohuk also reported that “the bombing resulted in the death of two people travelling on the vehicle, and another person was severely wounded.”

@Dersi4m, however, wrote that three people inside the vehicle were killed and another one was injured.

Currently, further information is unavailable to Airwars.

The incident occured at approximately 11:00 am local time.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 3
  • Civilians reported injured
    0–1
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military
  • Suspected target
    Unknown
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–3
  • Belligerents reported injured
    0–1

Sources (3) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Aftermath of alleged Turkish airstrikes on the village of Ardana, Dohuk governorate, on August 14th, 2020 (via @Dersi4m).

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Araden (أرادن‎), for which the generic coordinates are: 37.10894, 43.31806. 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
    0 – 3
  • Civilians reported injured
    0–1
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military
  • Suspected target
    Unknown
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–3
  • Belligerents reported injured
    0–1

Sources (3) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TI064a

Incident date

July 8, 2021

Location

قرية هرور, Hirrur, Dohuk, Iraq

Airwars assessment

One civilian was injured in an alleged Turkish artillery strike on the village of Hirrur, Dohuk Province on July 8 th, 2021 according to one source.

Christian Peacemaker Teams said the civilian was injured by shrapnel when a Turkish military base fired shells into farmlands close to the village.

No further information could be found. The local time of the incident is unknown.

 

 

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

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

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
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

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

TI053A

Incident date

January 22, 2021

Location

كري , Gri, Duhok , Iraq

Geolocation

37.19087, 42.9706 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two children were reported injured and hundreds of sheep killed as a result of alleged Turkish bombing of three areas in Kurdistan on January 22nd, 2021.

The first bombed area was Gri in Duhok’s Chamanke district, at the foot of Gara mountain near the border with Turkey. Mohammed Sheikhzade, a villager there whose two brothers got injured told Rudaw “Turkish warplanes bombarded the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) positions today at 2:30pm. A bomb hit near our house, breaking the window glass. As a result, my brothers Salih, 10, and Islam, 15, were injured due to the broken glass.” This information was confirmed by the mayor of Chamanke.

Turkey’s Defence Minister allegedly said they ‘neutralized’ four PKK fighters in the Gara area. (Which could mean killed, injured or captured).

According to Rudaw, Turkish warplanes hit a barn in Chikan village in the Choman district of Erbil province, killing hundreds of sheep. @BaxtiyarGoran tweeted images of dead sheep resulting from the attack.

The third area bombed was Gundazhur village in Haji Omran district of Erbil, but no casualties were reported from that one, according to the mayor. The Turkish ministry of defence again said they ‘neutralized’ three PKK fighters.

The incident occured at 14:30:00 local time.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Salih Sheikhzade
10 years old male injured
Islam Sheikhzade
15 years old male injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • 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
  • Suspected target
    Other

Sources (3) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Sheep killed as a result of alleged Turkish airstrikes on Chikan village in the Choman district of Erbil province on January 22nd, 2021. (image via @BaxtiyarGoran)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Sheep killed as a result of alleged Turkish airstrikes on Chikan village in the Choman district of Erbil province on January 22nd, 2021. (image via @BaxtiyarGoran)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Gri, also known as Kara (كري), for which the generic coordinates are: 37.19087, 42.9706. 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
    Fair
    Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military
  • Suspected target
    Other

Sources (3) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TI085

Incident date

July 17, 2022

Location

بوابة الشام, Bab Al Sham, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.378126, 43.004683 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Nearby landmark level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least five people were alleged killed and two others wounded in a drone strike in western Mosul on July 17, 2022. One woman and three men were reported killed in the attack, in a drone that state security services claimed to belong to Turkish forces.

Sources were conflicted as to whether or not those harmed in the incident were civilians: While the governor of Ninevah province claimed in an Instagram post that the drone struck a civilian vehicle, the Directorate of Counter-Terrorism in Kurdistan noted that those killed in the attack were combatants: “a Turkish army drone targeted a vehicle of PKK fighters near the Syrian gate in western Mosul on Sunday, July 17, 2022 at 14:30, killing five PKK fighters.”

Several local sources identified student and alleged civilian Ahmed Al-Jubouri as one of those killed in the attack, reported by several local sources to have been driving the vehicle when it was hit by the drone.

The incident occured at 14:22:00 local time.

The victims were named as:

Abdul Al-Jubouri احمد الجبوري
Age unknown killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • (1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–5
  • Belligerents reported injured
    0–2

Sources (21) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (8) [ collapse]

  • "Exclusive video of the wheel that was hit by the Turkish bombardment on the right side of Mosul" via @ahadtv
  • Wreckage of the vehicle hit in an alleged Turkish drone attack in Mosul, July 17, 2022. Sources varied in their reporting on the civilian status of those killed in the attack. Image via Nasnews
  • Number plate indicating the vehicle originated from Erbil, according to the New Arab. Image via Nasnews
  • Wreckage of the vehicle hit in an alleged Turkish drone attack in Mosul, July 17, 2022. Sources varied in their reporting on the civilian status of those killed in the attack. Image via Nasnews
  • Security services survey the wreckage of the vehicle hit in an alleged Turkish drone attack in Mosul, July 17, 2022. Sources varied in their reporting on the civilian status of those killed in the attack. Image via Nasnews
  • Wreckage of the vehicle hit in an alleged Turkish drone attack in Mosul, July 17, 2022. Sources varied in their reporting on the civilian status of those killed in the attack. Image via Rudaw
  • Image of Ahmed Al-Jubouri, via Tanak Qr Media; Al Jubouri was reported by local sources to have been driving the vehicle when an alleged Turkish drone hit the car, killing those inside and wounding two others.
  • Image posted by twitter user @shaajab1 of Ahmed Al-Jubouri, killed in an alleged Turkish drone attack in western Mosul, July 17, 2022

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention a vehicle being struck in the vicinity of Bab Al Sham (بوابة الشام), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.378126, 43.004683. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • (1 woman)
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–5
  • Belligerents reported injured
    0–2

Sources (21) [ collapse]