Two people have been killed in an airstrike by the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) in the Batifa region of Zakho (Zaxo) in Iraqi Kurdistan. The two lost their lives when their vehicle was bombarded by a drone belonging to the TAF, Mesopotamia News Agency reports.

The people who lost their lives were identified as Iraqi nationals Ahmet Shakir Mahmoud (40) and Yusuf Omar (26).

Since 23 April, the TAF have been conducting operations against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)’s ‘Medya Defence Zones’ in the Metina, Zap and Avashin regions of Iraqi Kurdistan.

As the clashes between Kurdish fighters and the TAF continue, various reports are coming from the region regarding the violation of rights.

Meanwhile, destruction in the village of Hiror in the Kanî Masî region of Amediye district, which has been bombed regularly by Turkey, has been captured on video.

The video reveals that Turkish warplanes have been bombarding civilian settlements directly, and many houses have been demolished as a result of the attacks. It appears that there has also been great damage to the residents’ gardens.

Civilians living in the region have been calling constantly for Turkey to bring an end to the attacks, as well as criticising both the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) for remaining silent on the matter.

In June, 150 activists from across Europe formed an international initiative called the “Delegation for Peace and Freedom in Kurdistan”. They tried to visit Erbil (Hewler) in order to hold meetings with politicians and observe the situation in the region, but many of them were either detained and prevented from leaving their own countries or blocked by peshmergas at the airport. Protesting the situation later on, they established the international “Defend Kurdistan Initiative” and called on Turkey to stop the attacks.