Turkey denies responsibility for strike that killed 9 in Iraq's KRG as Baghdad lashes out

• A tourist spot in the Zaxo district of the Duhok province was targeted in a bombardment that claimed nine lives

• The Baghdad government condemned Turkey for the attack and said it will bring the case to the UNSC

• Hundreds of members of the Sadr movement gathered outside Turkey's embassy to protest against the attack

• Turkey denied responsibility for the bombardment and blamed the PKK

• The Turkish Armed Forces have been carrying out a military operation against the PKK in the KRG territory since mid-April

Turkey said it was not responsible for the bombardment that killed nine civilians and wounded more than 20 others yesterday (July 20) in the Duhok province in the Kurdistan region.

"Türkiye carries out its fight against terrorism with utmost sensitivity to the protection of civilians, civilian infrastructure, historical and cultural property and the environment," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement late yesterday.

The attack was "assessed to be organized by the terrorist organization," the ministry claimed, apparently referring to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

"Türkiye is ready to take all steps to reveal the truth," it said.

The PKK said it was not behind the attack and it had no militants in the bombarded area.

Local officials said after the bombardment that it was carried out by Turkey and targeted the nearby PKK members. However, it hit a streamside in the Zaxo (Zakho) district, where there was a group of Arab tourists, killing nine people and wounding 23 others. There was a child among the killed.

Baghdad's response

Iraq's Foreign Ministry condemned the attack "in strongest terms" and accused Turkey of violating its sovereignty.

The country's Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi instructed the formation of an investigative committee headed by Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein to examine the details of the incident, the ministry statement said.

A spokesperson for Iraq's Foreign Ministry said the Baghdad government will submit a complaint to the United Nations Security Council and expects a resolution condemning the attack as a violation of Iraq's sovereignty.

"Iraq has many cards of power, foremost of which is the economic card to respond to the attack," Ahmed al-Sahaf told Al-Iraqiya News TV, as reported by the Iraqi News Agency (INA).

Also, the country's Supreme Security Council held an extraordinary meeting chaired by the PM.

Meanwhile, hundreds of members of the Sadr movement gathered outside Turkey's embassy in Baghdad to protest against the attack, the Mezopotamya Agency (MA) reported. 

Early today, the embassy shared a tweet offering condolences to the people of Iraq and blaming the PKK for the attack.

Protests in Baghdad (Photo: MA)

"Cloud of suspicion"

Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu spoke about the incident today, once again refusing the claims that Turkey carried out the attack.

Turkey carries out its "fight against terrorism" in compliance with international law, he told the state broadcaster TRT, echoing the ministry statement from yesterday.

"According to the informatio we received from the Turkish Armed Forces, we have not carried out an attack on civilians," he said.

Saying that Turkey could cooperate with Iraq to shed light on the attack, Çavuşoğlu remarked, "We reject accusations against Turkey without this cloud of suspicion going away."

Turkey in mid-April launched a new military offensive in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) territory, dubbed as the "Operation Claw-Lock," targeting the PKK.

The latest one in a series of military operations against the PKK, the offensive focuses on the mountainous regions of Metina, Zap and Avasin-Basyan.

Iraqi government has not approved of the operation, deeming it a threat to its national security. (VK)