Clashes between Turkish army and PKK ignite fires, devastate 40 dunams of farmland in northern Iraq

NOHADRA, Kurdistan Region of Iraq — Ongoing battles between Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighters and the Turkish military have caused significant fires, ravaging 40 dunams of agricultural land, including citizen-owned fields along the road between Amadiya and Derluk in Nohadra (Duhok) Governorate in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI).

The blaze, which erupted on Monday morning, burned for eight hours, destroying fields and vineyards. According to the Civil Defense Directorate in Nohadra, these armed confrontations have resulted in over 25,000 dunams of land being scorched in the region.

Ihsan Chalabi, the mayor of Sidkan District in Erbil Governorate, reported that the Turkish Army has established 10 military checkpoints in the Sidkan region. He noted that 20 villages near the Turkish border are at risk due to their proximity to these checkpoints. Chalabi revealed that the Turkish army has penetrated 30 kilometers into KRI territory from Sidkan’s borders, conducting bombings targeting suspected PKK positions and tunnels. Since 2017, approximately 46% of Sidkan District has been under Turkish control.