According to research by the Community Peacemaker Teams (CPT), at least 845 civilians have been killed or injured in Turkish and Iranian attacks in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq since 1991.
The Community Peacemaker Teams (CPT-IK) has presented a report in Sulaymaniyah on civilian casualties caused by Turkish and Iranian military operations in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
This report collates, documents, and verifies the immediate harm to the civilian population—death and injury—caused by Turkish and Iranian military operations inside Iraqi Kurdistan, as well as the broader impact on civilian life. “Extensive military operations by the Turkish and Iranian military forces have resulted in forced displacement, environmental damage, the destruction of civilian infrastructure, and socioeconomic hardship. Casualties mainly occur during a broad range of civilian activities, including income generation (such as agriculture, animal husbandry, foraging, subsistence entrepreneurship, etc.), recreation (communal and family visits, celebrations, picnics, tourism), or simply being at home. As a result, since 1991, Turkish and Iranian military operations have caused 845 civilian casualties (425 killed and 420 injured), 15 non-belligerent casualties (10 killed and 5 injured), and 8 non-combatant casualties (8 killed) inside Iraqi Kurdistan,” the report stated.
According to the report, “At times, the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have targeted populated areas, destroying or damaging homes, schools, health clinics, stores, water distribution projects, electrical infrastructure, and places of worship.
Civilians who live under Turkish and Iranian military occupation or use the valleys and mountainous regions of the border regions for agriculture are subject to continuous bombardments by drones, fighter jets, and artillery shelling. The attacks by both military forces that burn farmland, kill livestock, and damage civilian infrastructure, as well as the environmental impacts, are frequently underreported.”
Attacks by Turkish Armed Forces
The report pointed out that: “The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) are responsible for 83% of civilian casualties inside Iraqi Kurdistan, constituting an overwhelming majority. 344 civilians have been killed and 358 have been injured due to Turkish military operations, resulting in a total of 702 casualties. 39% of these casualties occurred between 2018 and 2024, due to a rapid increase in military operations inside Iraqi Kurdistan that began in December 2017. This ‘Claw’ series of operations aim to create a buffer zone incorporating most of the 360-kilometer-long Iraq/Turkey border region. To date, Turkey has constructed 74 military bases inside Iraqi Kurdistan. The Turkish military presence and operations have caused the displacement of thousands of people from at least 170 villages, with a further 602 villages at risk of displacement, while also severely disrupting local economies, livelihoods, and indigenous ways of life. Underscoring the perpetual targeting of civilian life is the fact that the majority of casualties occurred when the victims were at home or engaged in agriculture, accounting for 59% of the total. Particularly concerning is that 28% of the casualties are children, totaling 194 casualties, with 79 killed and 115 injured.
Attacks by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is responsible for 17% of civilian casualties inside Iraqi Kurdistan. 81 civilians have been killed and 62 injured due to Iranian military operations, totaling 143 casualties. Following the end of the Iran-Iraq war in 1988, Iran continued bombarding Iraqi Kurdistan territory mainly using artillery, resulting in the deaths of 63 civilians and the injuries of 48 individuals, amounting to a total of 111 casualties. These casualties make up 78% of the overall casualties caused by Iranian military actions. In addition, since 2013, Iran has constructed at least 151 military bases along the Iran-Iraq border, resulting in civilian casualties and displacement due to bombardments, landmines, and small arms fire from the bases. Also underscoring the targeting of civilian life is that the highest percentage of civilian casualties occurred when the victims were at home or engaged in agriculture, accounting for 54%.”
The report, which was presented at a press conference in Sulaymaniyah on Wednesday, comprises 28 pages with numerous graphics and is also available in English.
