Turkish artillery shells in northern Duhok ignite forest and farmland fires

Shafaq News/ Turkish artillery shelled the old village of Koherzi in the Al-Amediya district, north of Duhok, on Thursday, setting fire to nearby forests and farmlands.

Eyewitnesses told Shafaq News Agency that the artillery barrage resulted in extensive fires, and civil defense teams and villagers were unable to reach and extinguish the blaze due to the area's unsafe conditions and its abandonment by residents.

The old village of Koherzi has been deserted for decades due to the ongoing conflict between the Turkish military and Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighters in the region. The longstanding hostilities have made the area unsafe, leading to the displacement of its inhabitants.

PKK is designated a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the US, and the EU.

Last month, Iraq designated PKK as a "banned organization."