Turkish airstrikes on Sinjar (2018)
(Redirected from
Assassination of İsmail Özden
)
The August 15, 2018, Turkish airstrikes on Sinjar were two airstrikes on İsmail Özden, a leading member of the Sinjar Resistance Units (YBŞ).[2][1][3] Four others were killed in the airstrike.
Background
In the 21st century, Iraqi
Iraqi Army, and militias
have battled for control over the Sinjar area.
In August 2014, an
Rojava area. Later, the December 2014 Sinjar offensive with PKK-affiliated and Peshmerga forces supported by USAF's air surveillance and military support took firm control of the area. YPG took control of Yazidi area and kept both ISIS and Peshmerga forces at bay, continuing the building of local, PKK-inspired Sinjar Resistance Units (YBŞ). These YBŞ were led by Sheikh Khairy Khedr (d. 2014) and Zaki Shingali
(d. 2018), himself referring to Qandil's PKK leadership.
The strikes
On 15 August 2018, the
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) on the resident Yazidis in early August 2014. He remained about three and half hours in the region. Due to the presence of a large number of civilians around him, no operation started. He left the meeting place at around 15:30 in an armored vehicle in a convoy of four cars, which was observed by air and land around 20 minutes long.[9] The entire operation took two hours and 24 minutes after the secret information was gathered by the Turkish side.[8] The US may have provided intelligence to their Turkey allies.[11] A video of the strike has since been published, showing the Turkish army's drone tracking and firing on two cars. When Shingali's car stopped by the road's side, a drone targeted and hit the car.[3] People rushed in, and are seen moving the wounded or dead to a second car. The second car, transporting Shingali, was targeted by the Turkish drone in turn, and destroyed.[3]
According to a spokesman of the Multi-National Force in Iraq, "Turkey alerted the Coalition of their intentions to strike in the Sinjar area, but did not give any further targeting information".[12]
Reactions
- Yazidis: Singali is considered a hero to many Yazidis, due to his 2014 leadership in breaking Mount Sinjar siege and leading its following emergency evacuation against ongoing ISIS, summary executions of men and enslavement of Yazidi women and children, since referred to as the 2014 Sinjar massacre.[2]
- UN Nikki Haley commented: "Today Turkey carried several air strikes in different locations in Sinjar. Sinjar continues to be a war zone. How can Yazidis recover from this genocide, or go back home?".[13]
- Iraq, Ahmed Mahjoob, spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry: "The Iraqi Foreign Ministry condemns the Turkish airstrikes on Sinjar within the civilian-populated areas".[14]
- Turkey, Turkish army General staff: "İsmail Özden, a member of the PKK executive committee and the terrorist group's senior figure in Sinjar … was eliminated during an operation conducted by the Turkish Armed Forces and intelligence on August 15."[citation needed]
- Nadia Murad also criticized the Turkish airstrikes, alleging they were executed on the anniversary of the massacres committed by ISIL against the Yazidi in the village Kocho.[4]
References
- ^ Rudaw English
- ^ a b Callimachi, Rukmini (16 August 2018), "Turkish Airstrike in Iraqi Territory Kills a Kurdish Militant Leader", The New York Times
- ^ a b c Terrorist PKK suffers heavy blow in Turkey, abroad, Anadolu Agency, 17 August 2018
- ^ a b "Turkey kills PKK leader in Sinjar". Al-Monitor. 16 August 2018. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
- ^ "TSK açıkladı: 'Mam Zeki Şengali' öldürüldü". Milliyet (in Turkish). 15 August 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
- ^ "Şehit Bedirhan Mustafa bebeğin ismi anaokuluna verildi". Hürriyet (in Turkish). 6 August 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
- ^ "Sincar operasyonu son dakika haberi PKK'nın sözde sorumlusu öldürüldü İsmail Özden kimdir?". Akşam (in Turkish). 16 August 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
- ^ a b Cebe, Özgür; Arslan, Sırrıberk. "Nefes kesen operasyon". Sabah (in Turkish). Retrieved 19 August 2018.
- ^ a b Akgüngör, İlker (17 August 2018). "3 gün adım adım izlendi, son darbeyi SİHA indirdi!". Vatan (in Turkish). Retrieved 19 August 2018.
- ^ PKK chief hit in drone-backed operation http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-neutralizes-most-wanted-pkk-suspect-in-northern-iraq-135849 August 16, 2018, Uğur Ergan
- ^ EXCLUSIVE: US tip-off helped Turkey target PKK leader in Sinjar https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-enhance-cooperation-iraq-and-syria-turkey-1589897831
- ^ Zaman, Amberin (16 August 2018). "Turkey kills PKK leader in Sinjar". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
- ^ Frantzman, Seth J. (17 August 2018). "Yazidi leader killed in air strike by Turkey four years after genocide".
- ^ Iraq condemns Turkish airstrikes on Sinjar, archived from the original on 17 August 2018
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