United Nations Security Council condemns Zakho attack

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Monday issued a press statement and condemned the Zakho attack that killed nine tourists including two children in a summer resort in Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI).

The press statement issued by Council President Ronaldo Costa Filho (Brazil) said: 

“The members of the Security Council expressed their deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and to the Government of Iraq and the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, wished a speedy and full recovery to those who were injured, and expressed their support for the Iraqi authorities in their investigations.”

The Iraqi government claimed it had evidence showing Turkey was behind the attack. An Iraqi official said that 155 mm artillery shells have been collected from the scene, an ammunition that is only used by Turkey in the region.

The UNSC’s statement urged all member states to cooperate actively with the Government of Iraq in support of the investigations to clarify the attack but failed to identify the perpetrators.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein on Sunday announced that Iraq has filed a complaint against Turkey to the UNSC demanding an emergency session over Wednesday’s artillery attack. The Council is set to hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday to address the incident, Hussein said.

The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also condemned the attack on Friday and called for a “prompt and thorough” investigation into the incident.