Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

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.

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.

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 belligerent
    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)

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 belligerent
    Turkish Military
  • Suspected target
    YPG/SDF
  • Belligerents reported killed
    5
  • Belligerents reported injured
    1

Sources (7) [ collapse]