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

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]

Incident Code

TI084

Incident date

June 17, 2022

Location

كيسته, Kesta, Dohuk, Iraq

Geolocation

37.256848, 43.160734 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two women were injured in alleged Turkish artillery shelling and/or heavy machine gun fire on Kesta village in Kani Massi district on June 17, 2022

Shafaq News reported that Turkish forces launched artillery against Kesta Village, north of Duhok, which resulted in the injury of two women.

Omed Kestayi, chieftain (mukhtar) of Kesta village in Amedi town, told Rudaw’s Haydar Doski on Friday that Turkish troops from a nearby military base shelled inside the village earlier in the day, injuring two women, who were hospitalized. The shelling was done with DShk, a Soviet heavy machine gun, for about half an hour. ANF specified that the injured women were taken to Batifa Hospital.

Omed Kestayi also provided the names of the victims: Kazen (25 years old) and Sally (40 years old), one of them was hit in the head and the other in the hand.

The majority of sources attributed the bombardment/shooting to Turkish forces, while only Zagros News did not identify who was responsible.

The incident occured at approximately 5:30 pm local time.

The victims were named as:

25 years old female injured
40 years old female injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Artillery, Ground operation
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Causes of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions, Small arms and light weapons
  • 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 (7) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • One of the women injured when Turkish artillery attacked Kesta Village, north of Duhok which resulted in the injury of two women. (Image posted by Shafaq News)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Kesta (كيسته), for which the generic coordinates are: 37.256848, 43.160734. 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
    Artillery, Ground operation
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Causes of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions, Small arms and light weapons
  • 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 (7) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TI083

Incident date

June 17, 2022

Location

كلار, Kalar, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq

Geolocation

34.626923, 45.318998 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Four people were killed and one was injured in alleged Turkish drone strikes on the town of Kalar on June 17, 2022. Conflicting reporting was given as to whether all of those killed and injured were members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) or whether at least one of the people killed, Hussein Shibli, was in a civilian political role in the government.

Rudaw News reported that a Turkish drone struck a car carrying alleged members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), killing at least four PKK affiliates and injuring another, adding that a jeep vehicle was set on fire when it was hit by a Turkish drone at around 9:30am.

Kurdistan 24 also quoted the Directorate General of Counter Terrorism (CTD) of the Kurdistan Region’s Security Council (KRSC) in reporting that five people were in the car that was hit, four were killed and one was wounded, and did not elaborate on the identities of the casualties.

According to Alaraby News, Hussein Shibli, co-chairman of the executive council of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), was one of the people killed in the drone strike. He was reportedly on a formal visit to the Iraqi Kurdistan region, according to AANES officials. “Our comrade Hussein Shibli, also known as Farhad Shibli, was on a formal visit to the Kurdistan region for medical treatment. He was martyred in a terrorist attack in Kalar,” Avin Swed, representative of the AANES in the Kurdistan region told The New Arab, quoted by Alaraby, in a phone interview. She added that DNA tests confirmed that Shibli was killed, the driver of the car has been injured, and the identity of the three others has yet to be identified as they were badly burnt.

The Arab Weekly quoted Turkey’s Anadolu news agency, who reported on Sunday that the Turkish intelligence service managed to “neutralise the Syrian terrorist Hussein Shibli, the co-chair of the so-called Central Executive Council of the Syrian Autonomous Administration of the terrorist PKK organisation, in the city of Sulaymaniyah” in northern Iraq, and that he was “close to Farhad Abdi Shaheen, one of the leaders of the YPG/PKK in Syria”.

The Syrian Democratic Forces described Shibli as a “political leader in building and achieving organisational, intellectual and social construction projects” in Syria. Bedran Chiya Kurd, Co-chairmanship of the Executive Council of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, issued a statement that “targeting  our comrade Ferhad who was on a civil and humanitarian mission in Southern Kurdistan in the Kelar region that is some 200 km away from Turkish borders comes within the terrorist acts that target the best of our fighters in the Region”.

The Arab Weekly also referred to “observers” that suggested instead that the assassination was carried out by a locally-operated suicide drone or by the detonation of an explosive device under his car, but did not specify who was then responsible for this operation. All other sources attributed the drone strike to Turkey.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • 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
  • Suspected target
    YPG/SDF
  • Belligerents reported killed
    5
  • Belligerents reported injured
    1

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (4) [ collapse]

  • Destruction caused by alleged Turkish drone strike on a vehicle in the town of Kalar on June 17, 2022. (Image posted by Rudaw News)
  • Destruction caused by alleged Turkish drone strike on a vehicle in the town of Kalar on June 17, 2022. (Image posted by Kurdistan24)
  • Hussein Shibli, also known as Farhad Shibli, referred to by conflicting sources as being a member of the PKK or a political figure, was killed by an alleged Turkish drone strike on Kalar town on June 17, 2022. (Image posted by The Arab Weekly)
  • Hussein Shibli, also known as Farhad Shibli, referred to by conflicting sources as being a member of the PKK or a political figure, was killed by an alleged Turkish drone strike on Kalar town on June 17, 2022. (Image posted by The Arab Weekly)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the city of Kalar (كلار), for which the generic coordinates are: 34.626923, 45.318998. 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, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • 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
  • Suspected target
    YPG/SDF
  • Belligerents reported killed
    5
  • Belligerents reported injured
    1

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TI082

Incident date

June 15, 2022

Location

برخ, Parakh, Dohuk, Iraq

Geolocation

37.27665, 42.78737 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least two civilians were injured in alleged Turkish shelling of Parak in Duhok’s Zakho district on June 15, 2022.

According to Nalia Media Corporation, two people were wounded when Turkish forces bombarded Parakh in Duhok’s Zakho district. The reporter Wahid Sindi said that the two victims are a father and son who were working on their farm in the area and that both the father and son were sent to a hospital in Zakho for treatment.

Rudaw News provided the names of the two civilians injured: Nazir Omer Yousef, 51, and his 24-year-old son, Mohammed, were irrigating their orchard in Parakhian village when a bomb hit near them. Rudaw then added that both were injured due to shrapnel.

“We came under bombardment while we were irrigating our orchard,” the father told Rudaw’s Yousif Mousa at a hospital, adding that this is not the first time their village has come under bombardment. He was injured in his left thigh. Mohammed was injured in the left hand. He told Rudaw News: “All I can remember was that I heard a sound and found myself on the ground, bleeding.”

Dlsher Abdulsattar, mayor of Darkar, told Rudaw that the bomb ““was definitely fired by the Turkish army as far as we know,” he said, adding that the injured people have told him the same. He also told Rudaw that “Parakhian village is a populated village and there are 30 families….There are no PKK guerillas inside the village.” BasNews quoted Amir Ali, a spokesperson for the Independent Administration of Zakho, who reported that the airstrikes were carried out against “alleged positions of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) near Sharanshe resort.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

51 years old male injured
24 years old male Son of Nazir injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 (1) [ collapse]

  • Nazir Omer Yousef, 51, and his 24-year-old son, Mohammed, who were injured in alleged Turkish strikes on Parakhian in Duhok’s Zakho district on June 15, 2022. (Image posted by Rudaw News)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Parakh (برخ), for which the generic coordinates are: 37.27665, 42.78737. 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 and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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

TI081

Incident date

June 15, 2022

Location

سنونو, Sunin, Sinjar, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.468563, 41.710257 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Airwars) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Between one to five civilians were reportedly killed, and three to ten were injured in Sunin, Sinjar, Iraq, as a result of an attack by a Turkish drone on June 15th 2022.  Up to six militants were also reported killed in this attack.

One child, Salah Shifan Khader Nassou, aged 11 or 12, was reported as killed in this attack. Kurdistan 24 reported that he was killed by the strike while in his father’s shop nearby.  A few local sources reported that another of the deceased was the father or grandfather of Salah, Khader Nassau.

On the 24th of June, Kurdistan24 reported that Ibrahim Avdi Darwish, 45, had died as a result of wounds he had sustained during the strike in Sinjar on the 15th of June. Mr. Darwish worked for a local non-governmental organization, according to his family. He had six children.

Rudaw reported that “a health official from Sinun’s hospital told [the reporter] that the attack killed at least one person and injured 10 others, all civilians,” but that “Firat News Agency (ANF) affiliated with the PKK raised the toll of deaths to two, noting that there are no official numbers of those injured.”

Bas News reported that the Iraqi Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the drone strike and said that four civilians were killed in this attack, while Kurdistan 24 put the overall death count at six but did not specify if they were civilians or belligerents.

It also reports that one of the injured was a reporter for Çira TV, named Saleh Barjas, and another child.

Roj News reported that the Turkish attack also resulted in material damage to the Sunin Council building, which was also reported as PKK headquarters in other sources.  Kurdistan 24 reported that “Turkish airstikes targeted a Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) headquarters in Sinjar’s Sinin subdistrict, the Kurdistan Region Security Council’s (KRSC) Directorate General of Counter Terrorism (CTD) confirmed on Wednesday.”

Bas News and other local sources reported that this was an airstrike against the YBS Forces, a group affiliated with the PKK, and that several of its militants were killed or injured, according to Kurdistan Region’s Counter-Terrorism Unit. These reports differed however, and Qasim Shasho, a Peshmega commander told Bas News that the airstrike actually targeted the PKK-linked Ezidkhan Security Forces, because a meeting with the groups’ leaders was taking place.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (2)

Salah Shifan Khader Nassou
11 or 12 years old male killed
Khader Nassou
male reported as Father or Grandfather of Salah

The victims were named as:

45 years old male killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 5
  • (1 child1–2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    3–10
  • 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
  • Suspected target
    YPG/SDF
  • Belligerents reported killed
    6

Sources (29) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (11) [ collapse]

  • Salah Shifan Khader Nassou, reportedly killed by a Turkish drone in Sunin, Sinjar on June 15th 2022 (Image via شنكال سنجار مدينتي / Facebook)
  • Ibrahim Avdi Darwish succumbed to the injuries he sustained from the June 15 drone attack in Sinjar's Snuny (Photo: Submitted to Kurdistan 24)
  • Salah Nassou, reported to be killed by a Turkish drone was 11 or 12 years old (Image via Shinkal my city / Facebook)
  • The aftermath of a Turkish drone strike which killed one child, aged 11 or 12 on June 15th 2022 in Sinjar (Image via Shinkal my city / Facebook)
  • Kurdistan 24 reports from Sinjar at the aftermath of the reported Turkish drone strike on June 15th 2022 (Image via Kurdistan 24)
  • Aftermath of Turkish drone strike reported to have hit Sunin in Sinjar, on June 15th 2022 (Image via Bas News)
  • A reported Turkish drone hit Sinjar on June 15th 2022 (Image via Darkamaz)
  • @sebusher tweeted a photo of Salah Nassau, reportedly killed by a Turkish drone on June 15th 2022 (Image via Twitter)
  • @ahad_en reports from the alleged Turkish bombing on June 15th 2022 (Image via Twitter)
    A message from Salah's father, who was killed on June 15th 2022. Other reports indicated that Salah's father or grandfather was also killed in the strike (Image via @murad_ismael / Twitter)
  • @ahad_en reports from the alleged Turkish bombing on June 15th 2022 (Image via Twitter)
    A message from Salah's father, who was killed on June 15th 2022. Other reports indicated that Salah's father or grandfather was also killed in the strike (Image via @murad_ismael / Twitter)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention a strike on a stationery shop in the town of Sunin (سنونو). Analyzing audio-visual material from sources, Airwars has narrowed down the location to these exact coordinates: 36.468563, 41.710257.

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
    1 – 5
  • (1 child1–2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    3–10
  • 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
  • Suspected target
    YPG/SDF
  • Belligerents reported killed
    6

Sources (29) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TI080 YI003

Incident date

May 26, 2022

Location

زيوا, Ziwa , Dohuk, Iraq

Geolocation

37.198798, 43.189773 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Nearby landmark level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least two children were killed and up to two others, including a child, were injured in alleged Turkish or Kurdish strikes on Ziwa village on May 26, 2022.

Birqi Omar, mukhtar (chieftain) of Ziwa village in Amedi town, told Rudaw’s Hunar Rashid that people from nearby areas were picnicking when bombs struck. “As far as we know, the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) on Metina mountain targeted Turkish military base with three bombs. Then, Turkey bombed our families, killing two people, aged 10, and injuring another,” said the mukhtar. A witness, whose hand was stained with the blood of one of the dead children, told Rudaw that they had left all their picnic goods in the incident area.

According to BasNews, “at least two children were killed and two other civilians were injured” by two rockets. Kurdistan24 identified the two wounded civilians as being adult males and Hawar News added that the two children were aged 6 and 7. Yekiti Media provided the names of the victims, Youssef Kaufan, 14, and Afand Hashiyari, 10.

BasNews added that the victims were reportedly collecting spring plants while another source said they were attending an outdoor wedding celebration. A source told Shafaq News Agency that there was “a big celebration when the bombing occurred, which led to the death of three victims and the injury of several others as a result.” He added that “the wounded were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, while the bodies were evacuated to the forensic medicine department.”

A photo uploaded by Agency France Press identified one of the injured children as nine-year-old, Sipan Farhad. He was reported to be receiving treatment at a hospital in Dohuk following the incident. Sipan told Rudaw he was playing football with his friends when the strike happened, “I went upstairs while Yousif and Avand went to bring the ball back off the street and when I came down, a bomb hit the ground”, “Yousif told me to bring water because there was a dirty glass and we wanted to clean it,” he added.

Kovan Haji, Yousif’s father, told Rudaw that in the days before his son’s death he had promised him a present for completing the school year. “I wanted to grant my son a big prize. He was not only my son, but he was my friend, and he was always with me even when things were not going well.” The families told Rudaw the missiles came from Metina mountain, only meters away from them.

Witnesses told Shafaq News Agency, “The people of (Ziwa) village were celebrating near (Ardana) village of Bamerni district in Amadiyah district, north of Dohuk, when two artillery shells fell near the celebrants, killing three children between the ages of 10 and 11 years. Another 8-year-old child was wounded and is now lying in an emergency hospital in Dohuk. The father of the injured child explained to Shafaq News, that his son was wounded by shrapnel from the bombing in his arm and chest, but his health condition is stable now.

Rudaw News quoted various sources that blamed different sources for the strikes, with Kurdistan Region’s Directorate General of Counter Terrorism (CTD) and Warshin Salman, mayor of Amedi, attributing the strikes to the PKK while PKK-affiliated Rojnews reported that Turkey carried out the bombing. A Facebook post from Abo Mostafa AlJoboore quoted a father of one of the victims, who confirmed that it was the Turkish that carried out the bombing, not the PKK.

The Media Center of the People’s Protection Forces (HPJ), the military wing of the anti-Ankara Kurdistan Workers’ Party, released a statement denying that they carried out the bombing: “The State of Turkey attacked our citizens in South Kurdistan (Kurdistan Region) when they were on a picnic, which resulted in the death of three martyrs, including two children.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Youssef Kaufan يوسف كوفان
14 years old killed
Afand Hashiyari أفند هشياري
10 years old killed
9 years old male injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 3
  • (2 children)
  • 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.
  • Suspected attackers
    Turkish Military, YPG
  • Suspected target
    YPG/SDF

Sources (24) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (9) [ collapse]

  • Children victims of the strikes on Zewa village on May 26, 2022. (Image posted by Rudaw News)
  • A relative checks on Sipan Farhad, a 9-year-old boy wounded following a rocket attack in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) of Iraq, at a hospital in the northern Iraqi city of Dohuk, May 26, 2022. (Image courtesy of AFP)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention an undisclosed area of Metin mountain (جبل متین), in the vicinity of Ziwa (زيوا) village. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for Ziwa are: 37.00874, 43.45609.

Turkish Military Assessment:

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

YPG Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    YPG
  • YPG position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike and/or Artillery
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 3
  • (2 children)
  • 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.
  • Suspected attackers
    Turkish Military, YPG
  • Suspected target
    YPG/SDF

Sources (24) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TI078

Incident date

May 21, 2022

Location

اأغجلر, Aghjalar, Sulaimani, Iraq

Geolocation

35.817025, 44.698458 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Street level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least two civilians were killed and at least one other civilian was injured in alleged Turkish drone strikes on the road near the village of Tutaqal in Aghjalar on May 21, 2022.

Rudaw News reported that two alleged Turkish drones struck a vehicle traveling in the subdistrict of Aghjalar killing five passengers, including at least two members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Rudaw News quoted the mayor of Aghjalar, Hemin Bahjat, who said “targeted a PKK base and a Toyota Hilux vehicle which carried four passengers who were all killed. According to initial reports, two of the passengers were locals while two others were PKK fighters.” The mayor later added that another person was killed in the attack and that “we could not confirm that there were PKK fighters inside the car, because all the five persons were burnt up”.

Various sources specifically identified the incident as occurring in Tutaqal village, Kurdistan24 adding that it is located “at the foothills of Khal Khalan”. Rudaw News also quoted a resident of Tutaqal village, Halo Zahir, who told Rudaw’s Rawchi Hassan that the vehicle belonged to the PKK. Images posted by Rudaw News show extensive damage to the pickup truck allegedly hit by Turkish drone strikes.

A citizen of the village of Tutaqal told Rudaw News that one of the people killed was named Aram Kaka Khan, who was from the people of Tutaqal, and the second citizen was called Ismael, who was from the village of (Jalamrda) in the borders of Ağcılar district.”

Segirt News reported that the civilians were killed when the came to provide assistance to the PKK fighters who were wounded in the initial bombing, and then all five were killed in the subsequent bombing.

A tweet from @cptiraq laid out the series of events that occurred: “On May 21st , the Turkish war planes bombed Tutaqal village of Aghjalar town at 5:15 a.m. At 9:00 a.m, the mukhtar of Tutaqal, Aram Haji Kaka Khan, and his brother-in-law Ismaeil Ibrahim, went to the area that was bombed earlier that morning. They found three injured PKK guerilla members at the bombing site. Aram tried to drive the injured people to the Aghjalar hospital. But the Turkish drones bombed his vehicle at 9:35 a.m., killing him, his brother-in-law, and the three guerilla members.”

Adil Majeed, relative of the victims, told The New Arab “Early today the Turkish drones were initially targeting some PKK fighters who were based in a rural jungle from Tutaqal village, then the drones were observing all cars in the area. It seems some of the PKK fighters were wounded and they sought help from civilian cars in a nearby road, consequently the drones attacked the pick-up car, and killed two of my cousins who were from working as farmers.” Majeed added that his two cousins were survivors of the 1988 Anfal genocide.

Head of Aghjalar district administration, Hemin Bahjat, told BasNews that “initial reports indicate that at least three of the killed were members of the PKK” and that there were “unconfirmed reports of destruction of a PKK military base near Dutaqal village of Aghjalar, in the vicinity of Chamchamal.” ANF quoted Roj News Agency, which reported that a civilian car was struck on the road between the villages of Tutaqal and Galmurd, resulting in the death of five civilians and another wounded.

A security source in Chamchamal confirmed to Hawar News that the bombing of the village led to the death of “5 citizens and the injury of another”. The source added that the bodies had been transferred to forensic medicine and their identifies had not been identified yet. Segirt quoted a forensic source in Chamchamal who told AFP “two bodies from the people of the Chamchamal area arrived at the city hospital, and then were transferred to the forensic medicine office in Sulaymaniyah.”

According to Rudaw, the official Turkish state news agency Anadolu Agency reported that one of the people killed was a HPG commander named Mehmet Dooganan, also known as ‘Dilxaz Gabar’.

All of the sources that reported on the incident attributed the drone strikes to Turkey. Kurdistan24 quoted a local sources that said that “Turkish drones are still flying over the area, which has also prevented Kurdish security forces from entering the area.”

The incident occured at approximately 9:00 am local time.

The victims were named as:

Aram Kaka Khan
Age unknown male killed
Ismaeil Ibrahim
Age unknown male killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 5
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–2
  • 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
  • Suspected target
    YPG/SDF
  • Belligerents reported killed
    2–3

Sources (18) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (11) [ collapse]

  • Map showing the location where the drone strikes occurred, published by Rudaw News
  • Destruction to a pickup truck caused by alleged Turkish drone strikes in Aghjalar on May 21, 2022. (Image posted by Rudaw News)
  • Destruction to a pickup truck caused by alleged Turkish drone strikes in Aghjalar on May 21, 2022. (Image posted by Rudaw News)
  • Destruction to a pickup truck caused by alleged Turkish drone strikes in Aghjalar on May 21, 2022. (Image posted by Rudaw News)
  • Destruction to a pickup truck caused by alleged Turkish drone strikes in Aghjalar on May 21, 2022. (Image posted by Rudaw News)
  • Destruction to a pickup truck caused by alleged Turkish drone strikes in Aghjalar on May 21, 2022. (Image posted by Rudaw News)
  • Smoke from the car struck by a drone in Aghjalar on May 21, 2022. (Image posted by Kurdistan24)
  • Two of the victims killed in alleged Turkish drone strikes on Chamchamal on May 21, 2022. (Image posted by @RebwarAhmad88)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention a vehicle struck on the road between the villages of Tutaqal (توتاقلي) and Galmurd (جلمورد). Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for the Tutaqal-Galmurd road are: 35.817025, 44.698458.

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Turkish Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2 – 5
  • Civilians reported injured
    1–2
  • 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
  • Suspected target
    YPG/SDF
  • Belligerents reported killed
    2–3

Sources (18) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TI079

Incident date

May 21, 2022

Location

مەخموور, Makhmur, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

35.75382, 43.605244 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Airwars) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least one civilian was killed and seven others were injured in alleged Turkish drone strikes on Makhmur refugee camp on May 21, 2022. In addition, one to two alleged members of the PKK were killed in the same incident.

Camp director Nechirvan Mahmoud told AFP that a suspected Turkish drone struck a vehicle in Makhmur refugee camp, killing a resident.

According to @SweeneySteve, at least seven people were injured in the strikes on Makhmour refugee camp. @dersi4m reported that a young man named Haci Mirza Ali who was injured in the same strikes died from his injuries the following day.

BasNews reported that according to a Turkish security source, the person killed was a senior commander of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) named Mehmet Erdogan, codenamed Ahmet Rubar. “The source added that Rubar had directed and overseen the PKK operations in the northern areas of Makhmur, Sulaymaniyah, and Kirkuk since 2021. He used a fake ID card under the name Haji Mirza Ali, the source revealed.” Overall, BasNews identified “several people” as being killed and injured.

A tweet from @nicolas62574020 added that Turkey’s national intelligence organization accused Erdogan of “attempting to overthrow the constitutional order and violating Turkey’s territorial integrity” after joining the PKK in 1990. @SardarSattar added that “several PKK members” were killed in a PKK vehicle.

In contrast to reporting that those killed were militants, Media News reported that the vehicle struck belonged to the civilian and none of the sources specifically refer to Haci Mirza Ali as being a member of the PKK.

The New Arab pointed out that Makhmur refugee camp hosts more than 12,000 Kurdish refugees and that the camp is being sponsored by the United Nations.

The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), one of the two major political parties in the KRI, released a statement condemning the drone strike: “We call on the Iraqi government to fulfil its constitutional and national obligation to protect Iraqi soil and air space, including the KRI. The Iraqi government should approach the Turkish government about these violations through diplomatic channels. The KRI administration should summon Turkey’s ambassador and communicate to him its discontent with these attacks. There can be no excuse for border violations of this nature, resulting in civilian deaths and injuries.”

All of the sources that report on the incident attributed the drone strikes to Turkey.

The incident occured at approximately 12:00 pm local time.

The victims were named as:

Haci Mirza Ali
Adult male killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 1
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    7
  • 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
  • Suspected target
    YPG/SDF
  • Belligerents reported killed
    1–2

Sources (14) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (7) [ collapse]

  • Mehmet Erdogan, who was killed in alleged Turkish drone strikes on Makhmur camp on May 21, 2022. (Image posted by BasNews)
  • Mehmet Erdogan, who was killed in alleged Turkish drone strikes on Makhmur camp on May 21, 2022. Turkey has accused Erdogan of being a member of the PKK. (Image posted by @nicolas62574020)
  • Truck hit by alleged Turkish drone strikes on Makhmur camp on May 21, 2022. (Image posted by @nicolas62574020)
  • Truck hit by alleged Turkish drone strikes on Makhmur camp on May 21, 2022. (Image posted by @nicolas62574020)
  • Residents of Makhmur camp surround the truck hit by alleged Turkish drone strikes on May 21, 2022. (Image posted by @dersi4m)

Geolocation notes (3) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention a vehicle being struck in Makhmur (مەخموور) refugee camp. Analysing audio-visual material from sources, we have narrowed down the exact location of the strike to these coordinates: 35.75382, 43.605244.

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  • Imagery:
    Medya News

  • Imagery:
    Medya News

  • Imagery:
    Medya News

Turkish Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 1
  • (1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    7
  • 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
  • Suspected target
    YPG/SDF
  • Belligerents reported killed
    1–2

Sources (14) [ collapse]