Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

TI050

Incident date

August 30, 2020

Location

زاب, Zab area, Duhok, Iraq

Geolocation

37.255337, 43.569031 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Nearby landmark level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A woman was killed in an alleged Turkish airstrike on Zab area, on August 30th, 2020. While some sources reported that the victim, Hiam Noah Haji, was a political leader of the Kurdish Labour Party, other sources wrote she was the leader of a PKK militia.

Khabour reported that “Kurdistan Labour Party leader Hiam Noah Haji from the village of Pestasos in Maliki countryside was killed due to a Turkish airstrike in Zab area in northern Iraq.”

@VOSyria_ and @suriye_u_a_dr, however, reported that Haji was the leader of a PKK militia.

All sources blamed Turkey for the airstrike.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

The victims were named as:

Adult female leader with the Kurdistan Labour Party killed

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the Zab (زاب) region, in northern Iraq (العراق). Research shows the existence of a Great Zab River (نهر الزاب العظيم) that flows through Turkey, and the districts of Duhok (دهۆک) and Nineveh (نينوى). Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The generic coordinates for the northernmost post of the river within the boundaries of Iraq are: 37.255337, 43.569031.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 1
  • (0–1 women)
  • 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 belligerent
    Turkish Military
  • Suspected target
    Unknown
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–1

Sources (4) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Translation: “An air strike by Turkish warplanes on the Zab region in northern Iraq kills Hiyam Noah Hajji, the leader of the PKK militia, from the village of Pestasos in the countryside of Hasaka” (via @VOSyria_).

Turkish Military Assessment:

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

Summary

  • Strike status
    Likely strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    0 – 1
  • (0–1 women)
  • 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 belligerent
    Turkish Military
  • Suspected target
    Unknown
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–1

Sources (4) [ collapse]