Latest news with #KamranOthman
Iraqi News
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Iraqi News
PKK claims two attacks in northern Iraq
The outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) claimed on Thursday two attacks in northern Iraq that wounded five Iraqi Kurdish security personnel earlier this week. The attacks occurred on Monday and Tuesday, targeting peshmerga bases in Duhok province in the northern autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan region, which has seen repeated clashes between Turkish forces and the PKK. The regional authorities, who have close ties with Ankara, said on Tuesday that two separate drone attacks targeted its security forces, blaming them on a 'terrorist group'. The PKK said in a statement that it launched 'minor' attacks to avoid casualties in response to the Kurdistan security forces — the peshmerga — building a new post in the area. The post would close a road between two regions 'in an attempt to destroy and besiege our forces,' the PKK said. It is one of many posts that the peshmerga have started building in an area considered 'strategic' to the group, the PKK added. Kamran Othman of the US-based Community Peacemakers Teams, which monitors Turkish operations in Iraqi Kurdistan, told AFP Tuesday that the peshmerga were establishing a new post in a 'sensitive area' long marked by tensions between the PKK and Turkish forces. Blacklisted as a 'terrorist group' by Ankara, the European Union and the United States, the PKK has fought the Turkish state for most of the past four decades. The group maintains rear bases in the mountains of northern Iraq, where Turkish forces have also long operated bases. The drone attacks came weeks after the PKK announced a ceasefire with Turkey in response to their jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan's historic call to the group to dissolve and disarm. Despite the ceasefire, skirmishes between the foes continue in several areas of northern Iraq. The regional authorities said the attacks aimed to 'obstruct the peace process and the stability of the region.' The PKK said in their statement that they 'don't want to enter a war with any side.'
Iraqi News
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Iraqi News
Drone attack injures five Iraqi security personnel in northern Iraq
Erbil – Five Iraqi security personnel were wounded in two drone attacks in northern Iraq in less than 48 hours, authorities in the autonomous Kurdistan region said on Tuesday. Authorities blamed a 'terrorist group' for the separate attacks in a region that has seen repeated clashes between Turkish forces and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). 'A terrorist group launched two separate drone attacks yesterday (Monday) and this morning targeting peshmerga bases' in Dohuk province, the region's security council said. The attacks wounded five peshmerga, it added. Kamran Othman of the US-based Community Peacemakers Teams, who monitor Turkish operations in Iraqi Kurdistan, confirmed the attacks but was unable to identify the perpetrators. He added that the peshmerga were establishing a new post in a 'sensitive area' that has long been the site of tension between the PKK and Turkish forces. There was no immediate claim for the attacks, which came weeks after the PKK announced a ceasefire with Turkey in response to their jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan's historic call to the group to dissolve and disarm. Blacklisted as a 'terrorist group' by the European Union and the United States, the PKK has fought the Turkish state for most of the past four decades. The group maintains rear bases in the mountains of northern Iraq, where Turkish forces have also long operated bases. Despite the ceasefire, skirmishes between the foes continue in several areas of northern Iraq. The regional security council accused the perpetrators of the attacks of trying to 'obstruct the peace process and the stability of the region'. The Iraqi Kurdish authorities have close relations with Ankara.
Arab News
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Iraq drone attacks wound 5 Kurdish security personnel
IRBIL: Five Iraqi Kurdish security personnel were wounded in two drone attacks in northern Iraq in less than 48 hours, authorities in the autonomous Kurdistan region said on Tuesday. Authorities blamed a 'terrorist group' for the separate attacks in a region that has seen repeated clashes between Turkish forces and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party. 'A terrorist group launched two separate drone attacks yesterday (Monday) and this morning targeting peshmerga bases' in Dohuk province, the region's security council said. The attacks wounded five peshmerga, it added. Kamran Othman of the US-based Community Peacemakers Teams, who monitor Turkish operations in Iraqi Kurdistan, confirmed the attacks but was unable to identify the perpetrators. He added that the peshmerga were establishing a new post in a 'sensitive area' that has long been the site of tension between the PKK and Turkish forces. There was no immediate claim for the attacks, which came weeks after the PKK announced a ceasefire with Turkiye in response to their jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan's historic call to the group to dissolve and disarm. Blacklisted as a 'terrorist group' by the EU and the US, the PKK has fought the Turkish state for most of the past four decades.
Shafaq News
03-03-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Kurdistan: Iran, Turkiye expand military presence with 200+ bases
Shafaq News/ Iran and Turkiye have expanded their military presence in the Kurdistan Region (KRI) with 225 bases, according to a member of the Kurdistan team at the US-based CPT organization. 'Iran has established 151 military bases along the KRI's border and has advanced its forces between 5 and 10 kilometers into the Region,' team member Kamran Othman confirmed to Shafaq News. 'These bases, constructed since 2012, stretch from Mandali district in Diyala province to Sidakan in Erbil province.' Some Iranian positions, he added, are so close to Kurdish villages that residents can easily observe troop movements, warning that Iran's presence in these areas 'poses a significant challenge to local communities.' As tensions rise in the Region, Iran has warned Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) that it may launch airstrikes against Iranian opposition groups based in KRI if the security agreement between Baghdad and Tehran is not fully implemented. Othman also pointed out that Turkiye operates 74 military bases in the Region and has pushed 35 kilometers into Kurdish territory. He noted that both countries 'continue to establish bases and advance their forces deeper into the area, raising concerns over security and stability.'
Shafaq News
27-01-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Turkish drone strike kills 4 civilians in Iraqi Kurdistan
Shafaq News/ On Monday, a Turkish military drone strike killed four civilians and injured another in Iraqi Kurdistan, according to Kamran Othman, a member of the US-based Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) organization, which monitors Turkish and Iranian violations in the region. Othman told Shafaq News that the strike took place at 3:30 p.m. local time, targeting a Toyota Land Cruiser on the main road in the village of Kardajan, part of the Raparin Independent Administration. "The attack claimed the lives of four individuals, including two men and two women," Othman said. "A fifth person, riding a motorcycle nearby, was injured by shrapnel from the explosion." Authorities have yet to identify the victims, and investigations are ongoing to uncover the circumstances of the incident. The strike is part of a broader campaign of airstrikes conducted by Turkiye in various parts of Iraqi Kurdistan, aimed at targeting positions of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The Turkish Ministry of Defense recently announced that over 120 PKK fighters have been killed in the past month as part of these operations. In an official statement, the ministry described its actions as "essential to counter terrorist threats and safeguard Turkiye's borders." Border areas in Iraqi Kurdistan have long been impacted by Turkiye's military operations against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a separatist group that has fought for Kurdish autonomy since the 1980s. While Turkiye justifies these strikes as vital for its national security, the conflict has caused numerous civilian casualties over the years. These operations have sparked widespread criticism from human rights organizations, who warn of the dangers posed to innocent civilians caught in the violence.
