Turkish Military in Iraq & Syria

Turkish Military in Iraq & Syria

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

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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

TI052

Incident date

December 7, 2020

Location

رشاوه, Vicinity of Reshava, Dohuk, Iraq

Geolocation

37.09909, 43.64744 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Subdistrict level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Three civilians were killed in alleged Turkish airstrikes on the town of Deraluk, Dohuk governorate, on December 7th, 2020, according to local sources. The bodies of the three men were found on December 12th.

On December 12th, Roj News reported: “On December 7th, three civilians from the Derelok district of Amed were bombed by Turkish planes while they were on their fields in the village of Zêwê. No news had been received from them since that day. The bodies of all three citizens were found today.”

Rudaw reported that the relatives Muhsin Speri (64), Hassan Sadiq (56) and Safar Sini (54) from the Nêrwehi tribe went camping on Mount Matin when their families lost contact with the men. According to the source, all three men were retired Peshmerga from Deraluk’s Amedi sub-district.

Sleman Speri, Muhsin’s brother, told Rudaw: “When he didn’t call after four days, we knew something was wrong… A few days ago we got news that Turkey had bombed the mountain.” The family then set out to search for the missing men.

Rudaw posted a video of the retrieving of the bodies of the victims. Arsala Mohammed, a relative of the victims, stated: “When we found the bodies, all three were badly mutilated. It was very, very bad. It was hard for us to come back here. The path was rocky and narrow. It took us half an hour to get the bodies down from the mountain.

The Turkish Ministry of Defence did confirm to have “neutralised” five PKK members in airstrikes on Gara Mountain, west of Deraluk, around the same time that the three men were killed, reported Rudaw.

Duhok province governor Ali Tatar responded to the incident, telling Kurdistan24: “Unfortunately, the PKK presence inside Kurdistan Region’s territories and the armed clashes with the Turkish army has become a cause of great destruction for the people living in those areas. (..) When people are trying to visit their lands and homes, you see them killed and injured by airstrikes, and these acts are inhumane.”

Adam Gnych, who reported on the incident, provided Airwars with excerpts from an interview with Baxtiyar Speri, Muhsin Speri’s son: “It was December 2nd, my father went to the mountains to look for wild bees, which he does seasonally to buy bread for the family. The economic crisis and corona have made it very hard for our family, so he had to go more often. He left on December 2nd, we found his corpse on December 12. For eight days no one informed us about what happened to them.”

Baxtiyar talked about finding the mens’ bodies: “When we found the bodies, Hassan and Safar were both close to where the rocket hit it, and my father was about 50 to 100 meters away from them. It was clear that he had been injured and had crawled in order to look for help…. They were hit by drones, and the rocket was mostly shrapnel… Safar’s body was cut to half, and Hassan lost a leg and an arm, but my father’s body was intact”.

According to the victims son the incident happened “far from the closest road, around three to four hours walking distance.”

Baxtyar said “This area has turned into to a military zone, we are losing our loved ones in the crossfire. We have to sneak into our own lands because the PKK doesn’t let us even light a fire, and the Turkish planes are dropping bombs every day…It doesn’t matter how much we cry for the Kurdish government, and even the government in Baghdad wouldn’t be able to do anything. Even the Turks can’t control the area and the PKK is using the Doski, Rekan and Nerwayi lands as they wish. Our lands would never be free from bloodshed.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Muhsin Haci
64 years old male killed
Sefer Selim
54 years old male killed
Hasan Sadiq
56 years old male killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    3
  • (3 men)
  • 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 (11) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (9) [ collapse]

  • Baxtyar Speri greets mourners on the second day of his father’s funeral in the town of Deraluk, December 2020. Muhsin Speri, 64 was killed alongside Hassan Sadiq and Safar Sini whilst the men were on a foraging trip north of the town. (Image courtesy of The Guardian)
  • Muhsin Haci, Sefer Selim and Hesen Sadiq were killed in alleged Turkish strikes on Deraluk, Iraqi Kurdistan, on December 7th, 2020 (via Roj News).
  • Civilians at the site in the aftermath of alleged Turkish airstrikes on the town of Deraluk, Iraqi Kurdistan, on December 7th, 2020 (via @BaxtiyarGoran).
  • The aftermath of alleged Turkish airstrikes on the town of Deraluk, Iraqi Kurdistan, on December 7th, 2020 (via @BaxtiyarGoran).
  • Sefer Selim (54) was killed in alleged Turkish airstrikes on Deraluk on December 7th, 2020 (via @DefteraRes).
  • Hasan Sadiq (56) was killed in alleged Turkish airstrikes on Deraluk on December 7th, 2020 (via @DefteraRes).
  • Muhsin Haci (64) was killed in alleged Turkish airstrikes on Deraluk on December 7th, 2020 (via @DefteraRes).

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the valley in the vicinity of Reshava (رشاوه) village. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for Reshava are: 37.09909, 43.64744.

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
  • (3 men)
  • 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 (11) [ 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]

Incident Code

TI031

Incident date

November 19, 2019

Location

خانصور, Khanasor, Sinjar, Iraq

Geolocation

36.47777, 41.61138 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Town level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Local sources reported that a Turkish drone attacked areas in Shingal region in Iraq on November 19th, 2019 causing deaths and injuries among civilians and YPG fighters.

@murad_ismael reported “Another Turkish airstrike today [Nov 19th] on town of Khanesor. Reportedly there are civilian victims which are yet to be confirmed.”

@ameddicleT added that “Turkish armed unmanned aerial vehicles bombed Khanasor town at noon”.

There is obvious ambiguity as to what the airstrike targeted and who got killed and injured. Some sources reported that the airstrike targeted the house of Elias Dero Hasan Dero, who is “member of the Democratic Party of #Ezidis in #Shingal and has no connection with the #PKK or #YPG.” according to Ezidipress. The same source also said that “close to Dero’s house is a base of the YPG, which was obviously the target of the #Turkish air strike.”

@fekerhoor said that the airstrike targeted “a Kia car carrying six Syrian fighters and Turks, while they were leaving the headquarters of YPG {Sinjar Protection Units}, in the Kansour district of Sinjar, west of Mosul, the Nineveh center.”

NRT said that five YPG fighters were injured in this incident. @xalfxalt tweeted that there have been casualties and deaths as a result of this attack, and so reported Kirkuknow saying that resulted in deaths and injuries among civilians. Dwarozh said the attack killed five people and injured one person without specifying whether they were civilians or not. From their side, Xinhua said that the attack “left 20 militiamen killed and wounded, the Iraqi military said.”

 

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Family members (1)

Name unknown

Family members

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • 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
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Suspected attacker
    Turkish Military

Sources (25) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (16) [ collapse]

  • "Turkish warplanes bomb the Yazidi town of Khanasor in Sinjar." (via @Ezidi2).
  • "Turkish warplanes bomb the Yazidi town of Khanasor in Sinjar." (via @Ezidi2).
  • Elias Dero, a politician whose house was a target of the Turkish airstrike on Khanasor, Iraq on November 19th, 2019 (via Ezidipress)
  • Location of the Turkish airstrike on Khanasor (via Khanasor)
  • Targets of the Turkish airstrike in Khanasor, Iraq (via NRT).
  • Aftermath of the Turkish airstrike in Khanasor, Iraq (via NRT).
  • A car burned down due to Turkish airstrikes in Khana Sor, in the Sinune sub-district of Shingal Nov.19.2019. (via: Kirkuk Now)
  • Aftermath of the Turkish airstrike on Khansour in Iraq on Nove 19th, 2019 (via @anmab1121)
  • "Security sources in Sinjar district: Turkish warplanes bombed a headquarters of the Yazidi Sinjar Protection Units in the Khansour complex." (via @AdnanAwadh)
  • "Security sources in Sinjar district: Turkish warplanes bombed a headquarters of the Yazidi Sinjar Protection Units in the Khansour complex." (via @AdnanAwadh)
  • "Turkish air strikes on a headquarters of the Shankal resistance units in the Khansour compound, northwest of Sinjar district." (via@aamerbabeer)
  • "Turkish air strikes on a headquarters of the Shankal resistance units in the Khansour compound, northwest of Sinjar district." (via@aamerbabeer)
  • "Turkish planes bombed the site Pkk targeting the house (Elias Deru) in the Khansour complex of Sunoon district, I hope without human losses .. 19/11/2019." (via @khalidqa20011).
  • Alleged Turkish airstrike hit the house of Ezidi politician Elias Dero in the city #Khanasor, Nov 19th, 2019 (via @Welatpa00428651)
  • Car hit by a Turkish airstrike on in Iraq on Nov 19th, 2019 (via Sotkurdistan).

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Khanasor (خانصور), for which the generic coordinates are:36.47777, 41.61138. 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
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • 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 (25) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TI061

Incident date

June 5, 2021

Location

مخمور, Makhmour Refugee Camp, Erbil, Iraq

Geolocation

35.755637, 43.603063 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Neighbourhood/area level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least three people were killed and up to five others were injured in an alleged Turkish drone strike on Makhmour Refugee Camp south of Erbil in Kurdistan, Iraq. The Turkish government and their sources refer to those killed as members of the PKK while local and international sources refer to those killed and wounded as civilians.

The official of the National Union in Makhmour, Rashad Kalali, told Baghdad Today, “Turkish warplanes bombed Makhmour camp, located minutes ago, in the south of the district. The bombing targeted gardens for children inside the camp, which led to 3 casualties and 4 injuries,” explaining that “the camp is for Turkish refugees who have lived in it since 1997.”

A member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Gazi Kakai, also told Mangish “Turkish bombing targeted a refugee camp, specifically a park for children’s games, killing 3 and wounding 5 others” and “those who are inside the camp have nothing to do with the [Kurdistan Workers Party] PKK, and they have been in Makhmour since 1997 in accordance with the Refugee Protection Convention.”

The Kurdistan Party has referred to those killed as “civilians” and Deutsche Welle reported that “three civilians were killed and two more injured on Saturday in a Turkish missile attack on a refugee camp in northern Iraq.”

Hassan, a Kurdish resident of the camp from Turkey, told Middle East Eye: “Five, ten minutes before some airstrikes I was there. It was really, really bad. Two persons, two civilians, they got killed.”

US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas Greenfield tweeted that “I made clear to Turkish officials that any attack targeting civilians at Makhmour refugee camp would be a violation of international and humanitarian law.”

A few days prior to the incident, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had threatened to “clean up” Makhmour camp because it was being used as a base for the PKK.

According to Reuters, “Erdogan said that Selman Bozkir, who he said was a senior PKK official and manager of the Makhmour camp, had been “neutralised” – a term Turkish authorities use for targets who have been killed or wounded.” In addition, “an Iraqi security official said PKK officials at the camp had prevented police from entering the camp after the air strike, and declined to share details of the casualties.”

Daily Sabbah, a Turkish pro-government source, also added that “the PKK terrorist group’s so-called Makhmour regional leader in northern Iraq code-named “Doctor Hüseyin” was eliminated” and ” two more terrorists were neutralized in the operation,” referring to Makhmour as “portrayed as a refugee camp but actually serving as a recruitment and training area for the PKK.”

Kurdistan 24 reported “A security source who asked not to be named told Kurdistan 24 that the Turkish drone also struck a PKK outpost near the camp. “The Turkish drone targeted a headquarters of PKK militants located in the vicinity of the refugee camp,” they said, killing and wounding several PKK members.”

Tweeting about the incident in January 2022, @SimonaFoltyn said an Iraqi intel source told her those killed were fighters.

All of the sources that reported on the incident confirm that Turkey was responsible and the Turkish president took credit for the operation on Twitter, thanking his security forces for a successful operation and naming Selman Bozkir as being killed.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 3
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–5
  • 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.
  • Known attacker
    Turkish Military
  • Known target
    Other
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–3

Sources (20) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (6) [ collapse]

  • Caption translation: The official of the National Union in Makhmour, Rashad Kalali, told (Baghdad Today), "Turkish warplanes bombed Makhmour camp, located minutes ago, in the south of the district." Kalali added, "The bombing targeted gardens for children inside the camp, which led to 3 casualties and 4 injuries," explaining that "the camp is for Turkish refugees who have lived in it since 1997." (Images from Baghdad Today)
  • Caption translation: The official of the National Union in Makhmour, Rashad Kalali, told (Baghdad Today), "Turkish warplanes bombed Makhmour camp, located minutes ago, in the south of the district." Kalali added, "The bombing targeted gardens for children inside the camp, which led to 3 casualties and 4 injuries," explaining that "the camp is for Turkish refugees who have lived in it since 1997." (Images from Baghdad Today)
  • Caption translation: The official of the National Union in Makhmour, Rashad Kalali, told (Baghdad Today), "Turkish warplanes bombed Makhmour camp, located minutes ago, in the south of the district." Kalali added, "The bombing targeted gardens for children inside the camp, which led to 3 casualties and 4 injuries," explaining that "the camp is for Turkish refugees who have lived in it since 1997." (Images from Baghdad Today)

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention a children’s playing ground within the Makhmour Refugee Camp (مخمور), for which the generic coordinates are: 35.755637, 43.603063. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Turkish Military Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

Turkish Military
Official source

Here I want to give good news to our nation.

Selman Bozkır, code-named "Doctor Hüseyin", the senior manager of the terrorist organization PKK and the general manager of Mahmur, was neutralized by the heroes of our National Intelligence Organization yesterday.

On behalf of my nation, I would like to thank all my friends who contributed to this successful operation.

We will not allow the treacherous and separatist organization to use Mahmur as an "incubation center" for terrorism, and we will continue to dry terrorism at its source.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 3
  • Civilians reported injured
    2–5
  • 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.
  • Known attacker
    Turkish Military
  • Known target
    Other
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–3

Sources (20) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TI090

Incident date

January 13, 2023

Location

قرية خليفان, Khalifan village, Erbil, Iraq

Airwars assessment

Two children were injured when Turkish forces allegedly shot them in the village of Khalifan on January 13, 2022.

Alyaum TV reported that two children were injured while grazing cattle in the “Khalifan” area of the “Sidkan” district when Turkish forces shot them. Hawar News (quoting Roj News Agency) added that the children were shot with live bullets and Ronahi TV added that the children were taken to the hospital.

Kurdistan24 provided the names of the children as Lazim Murad Hamadamin and Bahzad Awdi Yusif, referring to them as “shepherds.” Ehsan Chalabi, Mayor of Sidekan, told Kurdistan24 that the two injured civilians were in stable condition.

All of the sources that reported on the incident attributed the shooting to the Turkish armed forces.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Ground operation
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Agriculture
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Cause of injury / death
    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 (5) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (2) [ collapse]

  • Image of two children injured when Turkish forces allegedly shot them in Khalifan village on January 13, 2022. (Image posted by Hawar News)
  • Two children being treated for their injuries after Turkish forces shot them on January 13, 2022. (Image posted by Kurdistan24)

Turkish Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Ground operation
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Agriculture
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Civilians reported injured
    2
  • Cause of injury / death
    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 (5) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TI042

Incident date

July 26, 2020

Location

the road between Barzanke and Ghilpish, Duhok, Iraq

Airwars assessment

Two men were killed in alleged Turkish airstrikes on two vehicles near Hasinpirka village, Duhok province, on July 26th, 2020. Sources are conflicted about whether the men were civilians or PKK militants.

Kurdistan24 reported that “a Turkish airstrike in rural parts of the Kurdistan region’s Duhok province killed at least two civilians, a security source told Kurdistan 24 on Sunday. The raid struck and destroyed two vehicles, killing all occupants”, adding that initial reports claimed that the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) had been targeted.

ANF Turkey wrote that the strikes hit civilians cars and identified the victims as Dilovan Şahin Omer Kesani and Ebdullah Ehmed. @eha_news, however, reported that two PKK vehicles were struck, adding that “sources report that high-ranking militants have been killed in the operation coordinated between the Turkish intelligence and army.”

Roj News initially reported only one death, but later wrote that two civilians were killed. The same source did write that “Abdullah Ahmed is said to be PKK’s intelligence peshmerga.”

The mayor of the Bamarne sub-district, Hamid Zubair, told Rudaw: “The two vehicles belonged to PKK fighters and they were targeted at [around] 4:30pm on the road between Barzanke and Ghilpish villages in Bamarne sub-district, killing two people in the vehicles.” According to Mr Zubair, “the airstrikes did not cause any human losses among civilians.”

According to NRT, one of the victims was a PKK militant, whereas the other was a civilian.

Civil defence teams reportedly put out the fire that was caused by the airstrikes.

The incident occured at approximately 4:30 pm local time.

The victims were named as:

Dilovan Şahin Omer Kesani
Adult male from Gulle village killed
Ebdullah Ehmed
Adult male from the village of Bendkê killed

Summary

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

Sources (18) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (26) [ collapse]

  • The mother of one of the victims of alleged Turkish airstrikes in Duhok province on July 26th, 2020 at the site (via Kurdistan 24)
  • Two vehicles were targeted in alleged Turkish airstrikes in Duhok province on July 26th, 2020 (via Kurdistan24).
  • Aftermath of alleged Turkish airstrikes on the road between Barzanke and Ghilpish on July 26th, 2020 (via ANF).
  • The vehicles that were targeted in alleged Turkish airstrikes on the road between Barzanke and Ghilpish on July 26th, 2020 (via ANF).
  • Two vehicles were targeted by alleged Turkish airstrikes on the road between Barzanke and Ghilpish in Duhok province, July 26th (via ANF).
  • The site after the alleged Turkish airstrike on Duhok province on July 26th (via ANF).
  • Aftermath of alleged Turkish airstrikes on the road between Barzanke and Ghilpish on July 26th, 2020 (via ANF).
  • Aftermath of alleged Turkish airstrikes on Dohuk province on July 26th, 2020 (via ANF).
  • Dilovan Şahin Omer Keşanî and Ebdullah Ehmed were killed in alleged Turkish airstrikes on July 26th, 2020 (via Roj News).
  • One of the vehicles that was targeted in alleged Turkish airstrikes on the road between Barzanke and Ghilpish on July 26th, 2020 (via @eha_news).
  • One of the victims of alleged Turkish airstrikes on the road between Barzanke and Ghilpish on July 26th, 2020 (via @GoranShakhawan).
  • Aftermath of alleged Turkish airstrikes on the road between Barzanke and Ghilpish on July 26th, 2020 (via @GoranShakhawan).
  • Dilovan Şahin Omer Keşanî and Ebdullah Ehmed were killed in alleged Turkish airstrikes on July 26th, 2020 (via @Hawar_).
  • Aftermath of alleged Turkish airstrikes on the road between Barzanke and Ghilpish on July 26th, 2020 (via @MapsZagros).
  • Dilovan Şahin Omer Keşanî and Ebdullah Ehmed were killed in alleged Turkish airstrikes on July 26th, 2020. It unclear which victim is pictured in this photo (via @afatbaz).
  • Dilovan Şahin Omer Keşanî and Ebdullah Ehmed were killed in alleged Turkish airstrikes on July 26th, 2020. It unclear which victim is pictured in this photo (via @afatbaz).
  • Vehicles on fire after alleged Turkish airstrikes in Dohuk province on July 26th, 2020 (via @Oliver_Miller70 ).
  • Translation: “Images of the #PKK vehicle targeted by a Turkish F-16 fighter jet in the #Dohuk area of northern #Iraq” (via @aucuneideegtyb).
  • One of the bodies covered by a blanket after alleged Turkish airstrikes on Dohuk province, July 26th (via lswnews).
  • Translation: “The incursion and the attacks of the Turkish army continue to kill people in South Kurdistan. This afternoon, the Turkish air force targeted 2 civilian vehicles in Bamernê, in the province of #Dohuk, killing several people. We do not yet know the number of dead and injured” (via @Le_CDKF).

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)
  • 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
    2

Sources (18) [ collapse]

Incident Code

TI071

Incident date

September 7–8, 2021

Location

سينة موكة, Sinamoka, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq

Geolocation

36.41559, 45.02261 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Up to two civilians were killed and up to two others were injured in alleged Turkish airstrikes on the village of Sinamoka, Sulaymaniyah district on September 7, 2021, according to local media reports.

According to Roj News, two civilians were injured in the Turkish bombing of the village of Sinamoka that involved three airstrikes. Baghdad concurred that two civilians were wounded.

Basnews initially reported that two civilians were injured but later stated that two civilians were killed in the strikes on Sinamoka. Mayor Nahro Abdullah told BasNews that the airstrikes occurred around 1:30am and that Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighters were in the area.

In addition to the civilian casualties, the bombing resulted in damage to civilian property.

All of the sources that reported on the incident attributed the airstrikes to Turkey.

The incident occured at approximately 1:30 am local time.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    2
  • 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
  • Suspected target
    Other

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Sinamoka (سينة موكة), for which the generic coordinates are: 36.41559, 45.02261. 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
  • 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
  • Suspected target
    Other

Sources (6) [ collapse]