Northern Iraq Mayor: Seven Civilians Killed in Turkish Airstrike

Five days into the resumption of the Turkish military’s bombing of Iraqi Kurdistan, one of the region’s mayors is reporting that a strike has killed at least seven civilians, including a number of women and children.

Qalat Dizah Mayor Hassan Abdullah reported that the air strike hit a civilian car in Kortek Village, and that the exact toll was difficult to determine because the victims were torn apart by the explosion. A loyal witness reported seven people were taken to the mosque for burial rites, including two women and two children.

The Turkish government has yet to comment on the reports but has been launching air strikes against northern Iraq since the middle of last week, insisting they are targeting Kurdish militants who fled into the region after killing eight Turkish soldiers in an ambush.

The strike marks the first time in the latest bombing campaign that an attack was near a populated area, let alone struck civilians. Generally the bombing runs, which have happened off and on since the US occupation began in 2003, have targeted the militants in unpopulated mountainous regions well away from cities.