Turkish artillery hits PKK targets, sparks fires in Duhok

Shafaq News/ A security source said that Turkish forces launched on Saturday artillery and warplane bombardment targeting sites of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the Rashafa valley of the Dirluk district, north of Duhok Governorate.

The source stated to Shafaq News Agency that the bombing caused extensive material damage to residents’ farms and ignited widespread fires in the nearby forests. The fires continue to burn, and fire brigades have not yet been able to control them at the time of this report.

The conflict between Turkiye and the PKK dates back to the early 1980s when the PKK, founded by Abdullah Öcalan, began advocating for an independent Kurdish state within Turkiye. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the conflict intensified, with the PKK engaging in guerrilla warfare and the Turkish military conducting large-scale operations against PKK bases, particularly in southeastern Turkiye and northern Iraq.

The early 2000s saw intermittent ceasefires and attempts at peace negotiations, including a notable peace process in 2013. However, this process collapsed in 2015, leading to renewed hostilities.

PKK is designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union and recently a “banned” organization in Iraq.