An airstrike targeted a vehicle in the Said Sadiq town of Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Iraq, resulting in the killing of at least one individual, according to local reports.
Rojnews, a Kurdish news agency, reported that the strike targeted Kurdish journalists, resulting in the deaths of two and injuries to six others.
Rudaw, an outlet aligned with the KRG administration, reported that the vehicle carried employees of Sterk TV, a pro-PKK network.
Kurdish media later reported that the vehicle belonged to Çetir Media Company, which runs Roj News Agency, and identified two of the deceased as Gülistan Tara and Hêro Bahadîn. A person named Rêbîn Bekir was injured in the incident.
Video showing the aftermath of the strike:
— Basnews عربية (@basnewsar) August 23, 2024
Condemnation from KRG
KRG Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani condemned the killing of the journalists in a written statement, saying that they “were not affiliated with any armed forces that pose a threat to the security and stability of any country or region.
Condemning the killing of the journalists as a violation of international law, Talabani described it as an "unjust crime" and strongly denounced the act. He also called for an end to such attacks, labeling them as "a violation of Iraq's sovereignty" and "a serious threat targeting civilian life in the Kurdistan Region."
The second vehicle
Later in the day, the Sulaymaniyah-based NRT channel released a video purportedly showing another car that was damaged in the drone strike. The car was not completely destroyed like the first one but had some damage on its windows.
In Iraqi media, Al Rabiaa TV reported that the airstrike killed a PKK executive, citing sources from the Kurdistan Region’s Counter-Terrorism Service. The service stated that a Turkish drone targeted a vehicle near the village of Tabarsh, in the Said Sadiq district, around 11.00 am local time, specifically aiming at a PKK official.
Al-Sumaria News, also quoting the Counter-Terrorism Service, supported the claim that the targeted people were affiliated with the PKK. A witness told the outlet that a drone, believed to be Turkish, bombed a civilian vehicle carrying two individuals, resulting in one death and one injury.
Turkey remains silent
While most sources reported the strike as a Turkish military action, Ankara has remained silent on the matter.
In recent years, Turkey has frequently conducted drone strikes targeting Kurdish groups in both Iraq and Syria, and has been accused of killing journalists on several occasions.
The most recent incident occurred in July, when a drone strike targeted a vehicle on the Sinjar-Mosul road, killing Murat Mîrza, a reporter for Kurdish Çira FM. The Turkish government did not comment on that incident either. (VK)