Turkish drone strike in Aqrah, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, kills two civilians

AQRAH, Kurdistan Region of Iraq — On Tuesday, Turkish drones killed two civilians near the town of Aqrah (Akre), Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). The Turkish strike, occurring at 6:45 pm local time, targeted Arif Taha (61) and Bashir Omer (68) while they were harvesting sumac in the countryside.

Reports from the Community Peacemaker Teams (CPT) indicated that the two victims were both retired members of the Peshmerga, the region’s security forces. Accompanied by two other villagers, as per local sources cited by Roj News, their fates now cast a shadow of uncertainty over the remaining companions, with the local Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) officials yet to address their status.

According to CPT, at least 152 civilians have been killed, 228 wounded, and 158 villages deserted as a result of Turkish strikes since 2015. Another 600 villages are on the brink of desertion due to Turkey’s intensified cross-border military operations.