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Iraqi air defense units shoot down Turkish drone over northern city of Kirkuk

Thursday, 29 August 2024 7:06 PM [ Last Update: Thursday, 29 August 2024 7:06 PM ]

Members of Iraqi security forces stand near the debris of an armed drone shot down by Iraq's air defenses in Kirkuk, Iraq. (Photo by Reuters)

Iraqi military officials say the country’s air defense units intercepted and shot down a Turkish unmanned aerial vehicle flying in the skies over the northern oil-rich city of Kirkuk.

Brigadier General Abdul Salam, deputy commander of the Iraqi air defense, told reporters Thursday that the drone came from the direction of Sulaymaniyah and crossed into Iraqi airspace.

He said it was a Turkish drone that was shot down by the Iraqi Air Force in the Chiman area of Kirkuk.

The Iraqi Air Force said in a statement that the drone was issued a warning “according to protocol” and then shot down by air defenses. It said the drone fell on a civilian house, causing “only material losses.”

“Based on the inspection of the wreckage parts of the drone, it was found to be of the Turkish type,” it said.

Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Oncu Keceli said Turkish and Iraqi authorities were in “coordination” to shed light on the incident, and reiterated Turkey’s determination to “fight against terrorism.”

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In a statement posted on the social media platform X, Keceli stressed cooperation between Turkey and Iraq against “terrorism,” including Iraq’s decision to list the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militant group as a banned organization.

“Both countries are determined for this cooperation to yield concrete results on the field and for the coordination between the competent authorities to be increased,” Keceli wrote.

Turkey often launches ground and aerial strikes against what it calls PKK positions in northern Iraq. Baghdad has, on several occasions, summoned Ankara’s envoy to protest the operation.

The Kurdish militant group has long been fighting inside Turkey for autonomy.

Turkish ground and air forces frequently carry out operations against PKK hideouts inside the country as well as in northern Iraq and neighboring Syria.

More than 40,000 people have been killed during the three-decade conflict between Turkey and the militant group.

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