Shafaq News – Duhok

Iraqi authorities closed access roads to villages in the foothills of Duhok's Mount Gara due to security instability, a local security source reported on Saturday.

The source told Shafaq News that residents had briefly been allowed to return after a truce was declared between the Turkish military and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), but renewed tensions prompted authorities to reimpose restrictions.

Turkish forces have established positions inside parts of Duhok province, setting up checkpoints and periodically launching attacks on sites believed to be used by PKK fighters. These operations have at times caused civilian casualties and property damage, as well as large fires in surrounding farmland and forests.

The Turkish army operations have continued despite the PKK’s announcement on May 12, 2025, that it had dissolved itself and ended its armed struggle.