Turkish drone strike kills three people in northern Iraq

A Turkish drone strike has killed three people in northern Iraq. Iraqi Kurdistan's counter-terrorism service said the vehicle hit by the drone strike belonged to the PKK, as Iraqi Kurdistan's Deputy PM later said that two of the victims were journalists.

Saturday August 24 2024 04:46 pm

Reuters

A Turkish drone strike on Aug. 22 killed three people in northern Iraq, Iraqi Kurdistan's counter-terrorism service said.

The statement said a vehicle, which belonged to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), was hit by the drone strike near the northern city of Sulaimaniya.

A senior PKK member, his driver and a guard were killed in the attack, the statement added.

However, Iraqi Kurdistan's Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani said in a later statement that two of the victims were journalists and were not members of an armed group.

"The killing was unjustified, violated all international laws and norms, and was a clear breach of the country's sovereignty," he added.

Turkey, which has not immediately commented, regularly carries out air strikes on PKK militants in northern Iraq and has dozens of outposts in the Iraqi territory.

The PKK launched an insurgency against Ankara in 1984 with the initial aim of creating an independent Kurdish state. It subsequently moderated its goals to seeking greater Kurdish rights and limited autonomy in southeast Turkey.

The PKK is designated a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict.