The Turkish military has targeted Kurdish forces with chemicals again in the past week in the Zap valley in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), the People’s Defence Forces (HPG) said in a statement.

The Çemço region in the valley was bombed with chemical weapons 20 times, said the HPG, the military wing of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s (PKK). More attacks followed with conventional heavy weapons, Kurdish news agency ANF cited the HPG as saying.

Attacks continued throughout Thursday, 8 December, the HPG said.

Several areas in Gara, where Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar had previously admitted to using prohibited chemicals, and Metina were bombed by Turkish fighter jets on the same day.

The areas Sîda, Çemço, Girê Amediyê and Girê Cûdî were also shelled heavily with mortars and tanks.

The HPG also announced the deaths of three Turkish soldiers, one in Çemço and two others in Girê Ortê.

Earlier in the week, the Defence Ministry announced the death of a major during operations in the same area. Major Mehmet Duman was the highest-ranking soldier who lost his life during Turkey’s cross-border Operation Claw-Lock in the KRI.

The Claw series of operations started in 2019, targeting PKK bases in Iraq. The PKK has been accusing Turkish troops of harming civilians and civilian infrastructure as part of the operations.