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

TI094

Incident date

August 11, 2023

Location

بنجوين, Penjwin district, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq

Airwars assessment

On August 11, 2023, three civilians, including at least one woman (who may have been under 18), were reportedly killed after being struck by a Turkish drone in the Penjwin district of Sulaymaniyah governorate. According to media coverage of this event, the victims were killed while driving towards the Iranian border.

In its coverage of this event, Roj News identified the victims, stating, “The sources stated that the names of the three citizens who lost their lives are Hassan Ahmed, his wife and daughter.” as well as identifying the victims as being from Mosul in Dohuk Governorate, including one of the victims who was an employee of Assil Company. Other local sources refer to the company as being called Asiacell and quoted the director of the Asiacell office in Dohuk, Bassam Sayed, who said that Hassan Ahmed has worked as an engineer for them since 2021.

Asiacell released a statement to Shafaq News that: “The victim’s name is (Hassan Ahmed Kashmoula), of Arab nationalism, and he is from Mosul. He came to visit his daughter at the Bashmakh border crossing, where she was a student at the Faculty of Medicine at Sanandaj University in Iran, and he intended to return her to Mosul and the other two who were inside the car.” They (his son and daughter) are called (Ziyad Mustafa Khader), and they are from the Rashidiya neighborhood in Mosul, and the girl was born in 2006, and they came for the same purpose.”

While Rudaw’s account differed in that it states Ahmed’s friend was killed, rather than wife, it provided more context, reportedly quoting Nizar Ahmed Kashmoula, the brother of one of the victims, who “indicated that they were heading to the Iranian border to receive their cousin and the son of his brother’s friend, who are studying together at the Faculty of Engineering.” Rudaw identified the victims as Hassan Ahmed, “Ziyad Mustafa, a friend of Hassan Ahmed,” and Rayan Ziyad Mustafa, a student at the Faculty of Medicine.”

Following this incident, outlets including ANF Arabic and Rudaw published images that purportedly show the damage to the car occupied by the affected civilians. In these images, the vehicle is heavily damaged and on fire, positioned on the side of a road.  Rudaw also identified the vehicle as being a white Toyota Corolla.

Rudaw noted that the Turkish Anti-Terrorism Service claimed to have targeted two vehicles operated by militants affiliated with the PKK on the same day. While neither statement can be matched with certainty to this specific incident, Rudaw reports that the organization reported the day’s events in the following terms: “The Anti-Terrorism Service said: “A Turkish drone targeted a car belonging to the PKK, near the village of Kalala” in Sulaymaniyah Governorate, which resulted in “the death of a PKK intelligence official and the wounding of two others.” He added that another attack by a Turkish drone targeted “a car of PKK members near the village of Qala in the Khalkan region,” also in Sulaymaniyah, which led to the death of “a PKK member and the injury of two others.” The director of Nalbariz district in Penjween district in Sulaymaniyah governorate, Hemin Ibrahim, told Rudaw that he was confident that the bombing was carried out by a drone because of the holes left on the street.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Hassan Ahmed
Adult male killed
Ziyad Mustafa Khader
17 years old female killed
Rayan Ziyad Mustafa
killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (1 child1 woman1 man)
  • 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 (7) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (4) [ collapse]

  • Vehicle struck by alleged Turkish drone strikes in Sulaymaniyah on August 11, 2023. (Image posted by Roj News)
  • Vehicle struck by alleged Turkish drone strikes in Sulaymaniyah on August 11, 2023. (Image posted by Rudaw 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
    3
  • (1 child1 woman1 man)
  • 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 (7) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TI009

Incident date

September 20, 2017

Location

شمال العراق, North of Iraq, Iraq

Geolocation

36.915000, 44.041944 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Province/governorate level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local media reported that the Turkish air force had bombed sites belonging to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party in north Iraq – though there was no information available on civilian harm as a result of these actions.

RT reported that “the Turkish army said on Thursday that the shelling hit targets in the mountainous regions of Zab, Afashin and Baysan in northern Iraq, close to the border with Turkey. The army gave no further details on the timing of the strike or targets, but confirmed that all the aircraft had returned safely.”

According to Alrafdain, “The Turkish Air Force announced that the Turkish planes bombed the camps of the Workers ‘Party militia. This resulted in the destruction of weapons and ammunition stores as part of the Turkish forces’ campaign in south and south-eastern Turkey and northern Iraq.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • 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]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the province/governorate of North of Iraq (شمال العراق), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.915000, 44.041944. 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
  • 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

TI035

Incident date

April 28, 2020

Location

Xakurke, Erbil, Iraq

Geolocation

36.857648, 44.678650 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Subdistrict level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two civilians were killed in alleged Turkish airstrikes in Xakurke area, Erbil province, on April 28th 2020, according to local sources. Another man was severely injured.

Hengaw wrote that Fakhir Tazaward (35) and Rasheed Miro (36) from the city Oshnavieh, Iranian Kurdistan areas, were killed in a Turkish airstrike as they were collecting plants in the mountains. Other sources also wrote that the men were doing agricultural work.

A source told Hengaw that: “The bodies of the two young men have so far remained in the highlands of Xakurke and their families have not been able to transport them to the city.”

According to @Rojname, another man had been severely injured in the bombardment.

Bas News reported that “the Turkish warplanes reportedly bombarded the borders between the Kurdistan region, Iran, and Turkey on Tuesday morning.”

The incident occured in the morning.

The victims were named as:

35 years old male from Oshnavieh killed
36 years old male from Oshnavieh killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • (2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • 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
    Unknown

Sources (5) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention the mountainous area in the Xakurke region. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for this region are: 36.857648, 44.678650.

  • Reports of the incident mention the mountainous area in the Xakurke region.

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

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
    2
  • (2 men)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • 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
    Unknown

Sources (5) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TI064

Incident date

July 30, 2021

Location

سنكسر, Sinksar, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq

Geolocation

36.247593, 45.006833 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two civilians, or members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), were killed in alleged Turkish airstrikes on the village of Sinksar, Sulaymaniyah governorate on July 30, 2021, according to local media reports.

Mawazin News reported that the director of the Snaksar district in Sulaymaniyah, Nehru Abdullah, said in a press statement “During the past 24 hours, Turkish planes bombed the Qandil Mountains and the surrounding villages in search of PKK fighters, killing two civilians who were on a motorbike in the Sinksar area of Bashdar district in the Raparin district administration. Abdullah added, “It is not known to which side the two victims belonged so far, and we could not verify the matter due to fears of repeated bombing”.

@AnatoliaIntel reported: “In the operation carried out by the MIT in the Kandil region, 2 PKK terrorists in civilian clothes were neutralized while driving on motorcycles.”

24 AE also quoted Abdullah as saying that “civilians are worried and terrified as a result of the repeated bombing of Turkish planes, which is causing the burning of forests and farms in villages.”

Firat News Agency also reported that two people were killed on a motorcycle in the bombing and that “Turkish planes have been bombing the slopes of Mount Qandil for more than 24 hours”.

A page dedicated to martyrs of the People’s Defence Units (HPG) said two of their members died in the Qandil mountain range on July 30th, 2021.

All of the sources that reported on the incident attributed the strikes to Turkish planes.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    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
  • Belligerents reported killed
    2

Sources (10) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    An image alleging to show the bodies of two Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) members who were killed in a Turkish airtstrike in the village of Sinksar, Sulaymaniyah governorate on July 30, 2021. Other sources allege the victims of the strike were civilians. (Uploaded by @AnatoliaIntel)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Sinksar (سنكسر), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.247593, 45.006833. 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
    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
  • Belligerents reported killed
    2

Sources (10) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TI046

Incident date

August 11, 2020

Location

Bradost region, Erbil , Iraq

Geolocation

36.747413, 44.398155 Note: The accuracy of this location is to District level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least five civilians were killed in alleged Turkish drone strikes in the Bradost region, Erbil governorate, on August 11th, 2020, according to local sources. The civilians died alongside five Iraqi border guards and five Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) members.

Armen Press reported that 15 people were killed in a Turkish drone strike in northern Iraq Iraqi, adding that there were five civilians, five border guards and five PKK members among the victims.

AFP reported that “two high-ranking Iraqi officers were killed Tuesday in what the army said was a ‘blatant Turkish drone attack’ in the autonomous Kurdish region, where Ankara has for weeks been raiding militant positions. The strike killed two border guard battalion commanders and the driver of their vehicle, the army said in a statement.”

Rudaw wrote that “an unmanned drone targeted a meeting between Iraqi border officials and Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) fighters and a military vehicle in the northern Erbil province’s Bradost area Tuesday afternoon, officials confirmed.” The mayor of Sidakan, Ihsan Chalabi, identified the two killed officials as Kurds Zubair Hali Bradosti and Mohammed Rashid Sulaiman.

@YourAnonAlerts wrote that a civilian father and his son had been killed in the strikes.

The drone strikes reportedly followed on a shooting between PKK fighters and Iraqi border guards the night before.

Global Village Space reported that “Iraq cancelled a ministerial visit and summoned Turkey’s ambassador as it blamed Ankara for a drone strike that killed two high-ranking Iraqi officers on Tuesday. As the number of civilians killed in the Turkish military campaign increases, Iraq grows increasingly weary.”

The incident occured in the afternoon.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1 – 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
  • Suspected target
    Other
  • Belligerents reported killed
    5–10

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (3) [ collapse]

  • Photo taken near Bradost, shortly after the alleged Turkish drone strikes on August 11th, 2020 (via Rudaw).
  • Translation: “Two Iraqi military officers and seven civilians were killed and many were wounded in the past two months, as a result of air strikes launched by Turkish forces inside the territory of the Kurdistan region of Iraq. The Iraqi government and the Arab countries should not turn a blind eye to all this” (via @bestoon_khalid).

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention the Bradost region, for which the generic coordinates are: 36.747413, 44.398155. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

  • Reports of the incident mention the Bradost region.

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

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
    1 – 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
  • Suspected target
    Other
  • Belligerents reported killed
    5–10

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TI064a

Incident date

August 10, 2021

Location

باصل , Bosal, Dohuk , Iraq

Geolocation

37.21093, 42.89497 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One civilian was seriously injured in an alleged Turkish artillery strike on Bosal village in Darkar sub-district, Dohuk Province on August 10 th 2021, according to one source.

Christian Peacemakers Teams reported that Abdulrahman Yousif, 55, from the village of Bosal, was severely injured while picking figs in his orchard. The strike occurred at 15:50 and originated from a recently constructed Turkish military base.

The Christian Peacemaker Teams statement regarding the incident was published by local media outlets who did not provide any further details.

The incident occured at 15:50:00 local time.

The victims were named as:

Abdulrahman Yousif عبد الرحمن يوسف
55 years old male injured

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

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Bosal (باصل), for which the generic coordinates are: 37.21093, 42.89497. 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
    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

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TI021a

Incident date

May 15, 2019

Location

برزان, Mount Butin, Erbil, Iraq

Geolocation

37.077778, 44.155833 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Nearby landmark level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A 50-year-old male civilian died in an alleged Turkish airstrike on Barzan, according to multiple local sources.

ANF reported: “Turkish fighter jets carried out a bombardment on Mount Bote located in Barzan region in the countryside of Hewler (Erbil) Governorate.

“A 50-year-old civilian by the name of Kazım Eli was killed in the attack. The man was reportedly collecting beets in the area targeted by Turkish warplanes.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Kazım Eli
50 years old male killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • 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 (7) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • The body of Kazim Ali is carried away following an alleged Turkish airstrike on Barzan (via Sator-iq)

Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]

Reports of the incident mention a strike on Mount Butin (بۆتین), in vicinity of  Pendro (پێندرۆ) village. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for Mount Bote are: 37.077778, 44.155833.

  • Reports mention a strike on Mount Butin (بۆتین) close to the village of Pendro (پێندرۆ)

    Imagery:
    Google Earth

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
  • (1 man)
  • 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 (7) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TI057

Incident date

March 19, 2021

Location

سنين , Seneen, Erbil, Iraq

Geolocation

36.741085, 44.396610 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Subdistrict level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Two civilians were reportedly injured in a Turkish airstrike or helicopter attack on a car, according to local reports.

According to Rudaw News, “Turkish warplanes targeted a civilian vehicle in northeastern Erbil province late on Friday, injuring two passengers, a local official and a border guard told Rudaw.  A civilian vehicle carrying four passengers was targeted by the Turkish army in Sinin village in the Sidakan subdistrict near the border with Iran, Sidakan Mayor Ihsan Chalabi told Rudaw’s Bakhtiyar Qadir. The vehicle was a Toyota Hilux pickup.”

Rudaw also featured a video on Twitter of one of the two civilian victims it said were injured, named as Luqman Rasul.

Nabd said the attack had instead been carried out by helicopter, and named both victims. “A Turkish helicopter bombed this Friday evening, a civilian car, a Toyota Hilux, in the Sidekan district of Erbil, wounding two people. The director of Sidekan district, Ihssan Chalabi, told Rudaw Media Network, ‘The Turkish air force targeted a civilian car in Seneen village in the sub-district.’

“According to the preliminary information obtained by Rudaw’s correspondent, Bakhtiar Qadir, the car was carrying four people who were on their way to transport livestock from Iranian Kurdistan. As a result of the bombing, two people were wounded, Zikry Haji Majeed and Luqman Jattu.”

 

The incident occured in the evening.

The victims were named as:

Luqman Rasul or Jattu
Adult male injured
Zikry Haji Majeed
Adult male injured

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • 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 (4) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]

  • Luqman Rasul receiving treatment (screengrab via Rudaw video)
  • A vehicle reportedly damaged in a Turkish jet or helicopter strike near Sinen, Kurdistan on March 19th 2021 (via Nabd)
  • A vehicle reportedly damaged by a Turkish strike, March 19th 2021 (via Shafaq News)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Seneen (سنين), allegedly located within the Sidekan (سيدكان) district, also known as Bradost. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further, however research shows a Mount Bradost which is located in the area mentioned by sources. The generic coordinates for Mount Bradost are: 36.741085, 44.396610.

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
  • 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 (4) [ collapse]