Iraqi PM livid as Turkish artillery strike kills 9 tourists; Ankara rejects responsibility

SMA NEWS – BAGHDAD
Iraqi authorities said at least nine civilians died in a Turkish artillery attack on Wednesday that hit a village in the Kurdistan autonomous region.

The victims, two of whom were children, were tourists visiting a leisure park in the hill village of Parakh in Zakho district, according to Iraqi state media.

The attack prompted an unusually strong rebuke from Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhemi.

“Turkish forces have perpetrated once more a flagrant violation of Iraqi sovereignty,” Kadhemi said. He condemned the harm caused to “the life and security of Iraqi citizens,” and said Iraq may hit back.

“Iraq reserves the right to retaliate against these aggressions and take all necessary measures to protect our people,” the prime minister said. He dispatched a delegation to the area led by Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein and ordered an investigation into the attack.

Gen. Mohammed Al-Bayati, secretary of Iraq’s prime minister, visits those injured by Turkish shelling at a hospital Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region on July 20, 2022. (Ismael Adnan / AFP)
Turkey on Wednesday denied responsibility and urged Iraqi media to go slow in making accusations.

At least 23 more people were injured in the attack and were taken to Bidar Hospital in Dohuk province, Iraq state TV said.

Children were among the victims, including a 1-year-old, the Kurdish health minister said in a statement, adding that all the victims died before reaching a hospital.

“We go toward the mountainside, there are strikes. We go toward the waterfall, there are strikes. We go toward this side, there are strikes,” said Mustafa Aala, 24, who was at the resort with a friend when the attack occurred.

“We pulled up the fence that was around the waterfall. We looked from inside, I saw children lying on the ground….It’s a scene that I’ve never seen in my life,” Aala added.