Updates on Turkish Military Operation: Claw-Lightning — Community Peacemaker Teams

The Civilian Impact in Iraqi Kurdistan, April 23 - September 29 2021

Three civilians have been killed in attacks by the Turkish Armed Forces

On August 20, 2021 Ahmed Shakir (40 years old) and Yousif Aamir (26 years old), were killed in the Batifa sub-district of Zakho. They were in Banke village resort, when Turkish military forces started shelling the road with artillery, killing them both. As tourists from Mosul their family found out about their deaths two days later when Kurdistan Security Forces discovered their bodies.
On August 13, 2021 Ibrahem Hassan Mohamad (51 years old), was shot by Turkish military forces while watering his fields in Dishishe village, Kani Masi. The villagers had been forcibly displaced by the Turkish military's Operation Claw-Lightning earlier this year. Ibrahem and 12 other civilians had come back briefly to water their fields, necessary to support their families. During a clash with the PKK Turkey began shooting at the village from their new military base, hitting Ibrahem and killing him immediately.

Twelve civilians have been injured in attacks by the Turkish Armed Forces (information was updated on 18 November 2021)

On September 24, Turkish artillery shelling severely injured Thabt Hussen from Hirure. He was harvesting walnuts from his land when Turkish military forces began attacking. Thabt was rushed to Zakho hospital in a critical condition.
On September 4, at 6.30pm, Haji Abdullah Hiruri, his wife and their daughter, were farming their land when it was hit by Turkish artillery shelling. Reports suggest that an unknown chemical agent was used by Turkey in the attack. When the three of them gained consciousness they began vomiting and had severe burns. They were found by neighbors and taken to Zakho hospital where they are being treated.
On September 2, Abdullah Sitaiy (55 years old) and Sabir Abdullah (45 years old), were fishing in Sidan village when Turkey began shelling. Both men, who are from Shiladze, were injured in the attack.
On 10 August, 2021, Abdulrahman Yousif 55 years old from Bosal village in Darkar sub-district in Zakho was injured in a Turkish bombardment while picking figs in his orchard.
On 8 July, 2021, a civilian from the village of Hirure was injured by shrapnel from artillery fire when the Turkish Military in their base, began firing at the village farmlands.
On 1 June, 2021, Ramazan Ali, aged 70, was injured when the Turkish Military began firing artillery at him while he was irrigating his fields in Hirure.
On 26 May, 2021, brothers, Ali Muhsin, aged 16, and Hasan Muhsin, aged 20, were wounded by flying shrapnel when the Turkish Military shelled Bhere village, where they were guarding their flock of sheep.
On 25 May, 2021, Bawer Ahmed, aged 20, was injured by shrapnel when the Turkish Military fired artillery at him and other farmers irrigating their fields in Dishishe village.

The Turkish Armed Forces have caused fires which have burnt almost 5,500 acres (22,500 Dunams) of farmland in Kani Masi villages.

A hillside in Hirure on the 27th July 2021, still burning with fires started by Turkish military bombardments. Photo credit: Ayad Hruri

These fires are started by the Turkish Armed Forces in bombardments, shooting and the deliberate use of fire starting tools.
Villagers reported that the fires burning on CPT Iraqi Kurdistan’s visit to the area on 20 June, 2021 were started by both bombardments and Turkish soldiers entering the village at night to deliberately set fire to areas of farmland.
On 27 July, 2021 Turkish soldiers, using firearms, shot directly into the village of Hirure from their new military base. As a result 165 acres (670 Dunams) of farmland was burnt.
According to the Mayor of Kani Masi, as of July 28, the economic damage caused by the Turkish military attacks to the farming and pastoral communities of the Kani Masi sub-district has been 6 billion Iraqi Dinars (approximately 4 million USD).

As a result of the Military Operation Claw-Lighting, more than 1,500 civilians fled their homes in Avashin and Kani Masi regions.

Seven villages in the Kani Masi Region (Kesta, Chalke-Christiana, Dishishe, Adne, Ura, Seraro and Miska) and sixteen villages in the Avashin Region have been completely evacuated
Two churches have been closed, one in Miska which was damaged in a bombardment and one in Chalke-Christiana.
One school, one hospital and several mosques have been closed.

Two projects providing essential water to villages in Kani Masi have been destroyed.

On August 17 the pipes providing water for Baziv village were destroyed in a bombardment when Turkish military forces bombed Hrure, Baziv and Kesta villages.
At the beginning of the operations a water project in Adne, which provides water to 9 villages, was destroyed in a bombardment by Turkish Armed Forces.

Damage due to the Turkish Armed Forces bombing has caused serious electricity outages 8 times.