Local sources speak of reconnaissance flights over the Maxmur refugee camp since early this morning. Neither the Iraqi nor autonomous Kurdish government has made any statement on the ongoing activity by unidentified aircraft.

Last Sunday night, the Turkish state carried out a massive aerial bombardment targeting Maxmur, Shengal and guerrilla-held areas in southern Kurdistan, northern Iraq.

AT LEAST 14 MAXMUR RESIDENTS KILLED SINCE 2017

Turkey’s attacks against Maxmur, which houses over 12,000 refugees from North Kurdistan, has significantly increased during the recent years. Despite the fact that the camp is under UN protection, the attacks were not met with reaction.

An air strike carried out by the Turkish state on 6 December 2017 killed 5 people and wounded 3 others.

On 13 December 2018, Turkey struck Maxmur again, killing a 73-year-old woman, her 26-year-old daughter, 14-year-old grandchild and a 23-year old young woman.

Another Turkish airstrike killed two residents of the camp on 18 July 2019.

The camp was shelled by an armed unmanned aerial vehicle of the Turkish state, which claimed the life of three women on 15 April 2020.