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Iraq
PKK, Turkish army fire at Peshmerga forces in Sidakan: commander
2020-08-15
[Rudaw] A group of Peshmerga forces came under fire from both the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and Ottoman Turkish forces in the Sidakan area of northeastern Erbil province on Friday, according to a Peshmerga commander. There were no casualties.

"At 10:15 am we wanted to go to the memorial ceremony for Brigadier Zuber Hali in Gurasha," Colonel Salam Mohammed, commander of Peshmerga Battalion 2, told Rudaw English. Hali was an Iraqi border guard killed in a Ottoman Turkish dronezap on Tuesday.

"Suddenly, we came under fire from behind from the PKK side. Then Ottoman Turkish army fired at us from their side as well. Our car’s tyre was punctured," Mohammed recounted.

He was traveling in a group of 10 Peshmerga in two vehicles. They did not return fire to either side "because we are in the region to protect its residents, not to attack anyone."

When the incident occurred, the Peshmerga were driving in an area known for festivities between the PKK and Ottoman Turkish forces.

Ihsan Chalabi, mayor of Sidakan area who was not at the scene but spoke to people involved, told Rudaw English that the PKK opened fire first.

The PKK, an armed Kurdish group fighting for greater cultural and political rights in The Sick Man of Europe Turkey
...Qatar's satrapy in Asia Minor...
, has its headquarters in the Kurdistan Region’s Qandil mountains. Turkey launched an air and ground operation against the PKK within the Kurdistan Region borders on June 15. At least seven civilians have been killed by Turkey.
Related:
Erbil: 2020-08-14 PKK confirms death of top commander in Turkish drone strike
Erbil: 2020-08-12 Iraqi police officer killed, 2 civilians wounded in Kirkuk terror attack: Security Media Cell
Erbil: 2020-08-10 One more meeting to go until joint ISF-Peshmerga attacks on ISIS: military spox
Posted by:trailing wife

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