Erbil sends protest note to Ankara over murder of five civilians

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) handed a protest note to Turkey's consul general to Erbil over the killing of five KRG citizens in Turkey.

Five members of two Kurdish families traveling from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) were killed in an armed attack on Thursday in Turkey's Kurdish-majority province of Mardin.

The victims were visiting Mardin for medical treatment, according to their relatives, when they were "shot in the head" inside their car. As four suspects have been arrested, the motive of the attack remains unknown.

Turkey's consul general to KRG was summoned by the Interior Ministry of KRG on Friday, and handed a protest note to be delivered to Turkish authorities in Ankara.

Dr. Hemin Mirani, a senior official at the interior ministry, told Rudaw that they demand a swift and effective investigation into the incident.

The remains of the five victims were taken to KRI and a funeral procession was held on Friday in the province of Duhok, their hometown.