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Sulaymaniyah, Iraq (Reuters) – The Iraqi authorities will summon the Iraqi cost d’affaires in Turkey for consultations after accusing Ankara of finishing up a raid on a mountain resort within the northern Iraqi province of Dohuk, the official Iraqi Information Company reported. . Learn extra
Turkey refuted Iraq’s allegations that it carried out a strike that killed eight vacationers and injured 23 others, saying the assault was an act of terrorism.
Iraqi state tv stated that “heavy artillery shelling” hit a resort within the metropolis of Zakho, positioned on the border between the Kurdistan area of Iraq and Turkey.
The Iraqi Council of Ministers additionally directed the International Ministry to summon the Turkish envoy in Baghdad to protest the assault. Learn extra
“Turkish forces dedicated a flagrant violation of Iraq’s sovereignty,” Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi wrote on Twitter. President Barham Salih additionally condemned the assault.
America stated it strongly helps Iraq’s sovereignty.
“The killing of civilians is unacceptable, and all states should respect their obligations beneath worldwide legislation, together with the safety of civilians,” stated US State Division spokesman Ned Value.
The Kurdish Minister of Well being stated in an announcement that among the many victims had been one-year-old youngsters, including that every one the victims died earlier than they reached the hospital.
“We’re heading in direction of the foot of the mountain and there are blows. We’re heading in direction of the waterfall and there are strikes. We’re heading in direction of this facet and there are strikes,” stated Mustafa Alaa, 24, who was on the resort with a pal when the assault occurred. .
“We stopped the fence that was surrounding the waterfall. We seemed inside and noticed youngsters mendacity on the bottom… It is a sight I’ve by no means seen in my life,” Alaa added.
The Turkish International Ministry stated Ankara was unhappy to listen to of casualties within the assault, and added that Turkey was taking utmost care to keep away from civilian casualties or injury to historic cultural websites in its counter-terrorism operations in opposition to the outlawed Kurdistan Staff’ Get together (PKK) militia. others.
“Turkey is able to take each step to disclose the reality,” the ministry stated in an announcement, including that Turkey’s army operations are in keeping with worldwide legal guidelines.
“We name on the Iraqi authorities to not make statements influenced by the rhetoric and propaganda of the notorious terrorist group, and to cooperate in exposing the perpetrators of this barbaric act,” she stated, referring to the PKK.
Turkey frequently carries out air strikes in northern Iraq and has despatched commandos to help its assaults as a part of a long-running marketing campaign in Iraq and Syria in opposition to the Kurdistan Staff’ Get together (PKK) and the Syrian Kurdish Folks’s Safety Items (YPG). Ankara regards each as terrorist teams.
The PKK took up arms in opposition to the Turkish state in 1984.
Greater than 40,000 individuals have been killed within the battle, which previously was primarily centered in southeast Turkey, the place the Kurdistan Staff’ Get together (PKK) sought to determine an ethnic homeland.
Dozens of Iraqis gathered in entrance of the Turkish embassy in Baghdad to protest the assault. The highest UN envoy to Iraq additionally condemned this in an announcement posted on Twitter and referred to as for an investigation.
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(Reporting by Ali Sultan Al-Sulaymaniyah and Kowa Omar in Zakho and Yasmine Hussein in Cairo). Extra reporting by Thaer Al-Sudani in Baghdad, Tuvan Gumruku and Ece Toksabay in Ankara, and Costas Pettas in Los Angeles. Written by Amina Ismail. Modifying by Frank Jack Daniel, Andrew Cawthorne, Leslie Adler and Jonathan Otis
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