Turkish airstrikes hit PKK sites in northern Iraq

Shafaq News/ On Wednesday, Turkish warplanes struck locations of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in the Al-Amadiyah district of Duhok Governorate in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

A security source told Shafaq News Agency that the airstrikes targeted sites in the Nehili near Matin Mountain range.

The source did not provide more details about the size of damage or casualties; however, the airstrikes have raised concerns among residents in neighboring villages.

A resident, Majid Hameed, from Koherzi village, expressed worries about the impact on their daily lives, "We cannot leave our town; our farms have become deserted, and it is planting season now, and continuing to farm is our only source of livelihood."

Another resident said the local population is anxious, as "they live in a constant state of terror due to the ongoing conflict between the Turkish army and the militants of the Kurdistan Workers' Party."

He continued, "Every day, we witness indiscriminate shelling by the Turkish army in several areas in the Matin Moutain range, and this situation makes the conditions more tense and complicated."

The PKK conflict, spanning four decades, has been a persistent challenge, with Ankara expressing disappointment in the Iraqi government's historical "reluctance" to acknowledge and ban the PKK as a terrorist organization.

However, recent developments have signaled a shift in Iraq's stance.

Last March, Turkiye proposed the establishment of a "joint operation center" with Iraq to combat the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a move that has received a positive response from Baghdad.

Following the high-level talks between Turkish and Iraqi officials, Iraq announced the designation of the PKK as a "banned organization," aligning with Turkiye's concerns and paving the way for enhanced cooperation in combating terrorism.