Community Peacemakers Teams publishes one-month balance of Turkish attacks on South Kurdistan
The CPT said that at least 9 villages have been completely emptied by the Turkish attacks against South Kurdistan.
The CPT said that at least 9 villages have been completely emptied by the Turkish attacks against South Kurdistan.
The NGO Community Peacemakers Teams (CPT) released a balance sheet of the "total civilian impact of the latest Turkish military operation". The period analyzed covered the month from 15 June to 15 July.
On 15 June, the Turkish Armed Forces began a new military operation and offensive in the Berwary Bala area to seize control of Metina Mountain and its surrounding areas with an eye towards gaining control of Gare Mountain.
The CPT said that "military operations have been conducted by both ground and aerial forces with the deployment of an estimated 1250 Turkish soldiers, 300 tanks, and intensifying aerial bombardments. Since the new operation on June 15th, Turkey has conducted at least 381 bombardments in Iraqi Kurdistan mainly through fighter jets but also by artillery shelling and drones. There has been considerable civilian impact, mainly in the form of displacement, loss of economic livelihoods, agricultural land loss, ecological damage, and one verified casualty (1 injured)."
According to the CPT data: "9 villages have been completely displaced, at least 184 families have been displaced, approximately 68,000 dunams of land have been burned, 1 church, 1 tahini factory, 1 car, 2 water projects, and 19 civilian houses have been damaged or destroyed, 1 civilian was injured. In addition, the electricity grids and towers of Bari Gare village and Miska village have been targeted. Turkish telecommunication equipment and towers have interrupted the networks in the areas of over 110 villages."
The balance sheet added: "The new military operation has resulted in the displacement of nine villages. Eight of the villages are located in the Amedi district with one located in the Batifa district. Four villages in the Bari Gare area, located south of Amedi at the northern foot of Gare Mountain have been displaced. Those include Mizhe village, which had 38 families and had one of its schools bombed in February earlier this year during the preparatory phase of the current operation and had two houses destroyed; Spindare village, which had 43 families and a civilian house bombed and destroyed; Kafna Mizhe, which was home to 32 families and had one civilian house destroyed; and Girgashe, which was inhabited by 16 families."
The report said that "many of the families, who relied on agriculture for their income, have lost their economic livelihoods due to their displacement to Deraluk and Duhok. The displaced families are now jobless, with some working as laborers or fruit sellers. In addition to displacement, the area had many of its forests burned that had vital trees and plants, which included apple trees, sumac trees, oak trees, walnut trees, qazwan trees, and daraban trees. Four villages in the Berwary Bala area, located northwest of Amedi near the northern foot of Metina Mountain have also experienced displacement. Those include Miska village, which had 16 families and was subjected to intense bombardments and the entry of Turkish soldiers into civilian houses, resulting in 85% of its agricultural land being burned, two houses being bombed, its church being bombed, its water well-being bombed, and nine total civilian houses being damaged; Dargale Musa Bagi, which had 10 families, had its Tahini factory bombed, and were explicitly told by Turkish soldiers to leave; Shelaza; and Bishele. One village called Demka, located in the Batifa region, has also been displaced, and it was home to 12 families."