Iraq’s Foreign Ministry condemns the Turkish artillery shelling -Kurdish Press

Iraq’s Foreign Ministry condemned the Turkish artillery shelling that targeted a tourist resort in Duhok’s Zakho at the highest levels of diplomatic response, reported Kurdistan24.net.

The Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement, "the Iraqi government condemns in the strongest terms the bombing that targeted a tourist resort in the city of Zakho on Wednesday, and stresses that these acts represent a flagrant violation of Iraq's sovereignty, and a clear threat to the safety of civilians, as several were martyred and others were injured.”

Health sources in Duhok province’s Zakho, on Wednesday reported that the death toll of the bombing of tourists in the Drakar sub-district had increased to nine, including women and children.

The statement explained that "this attack is targeting the security of Iraq and the stability of its people, and as we affirm our categorical rejection of these violations that violate international covenants and laws, we point out that Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi directed the formation of an investigative committee headed by Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein and two security officials, with the aim of identifying accurate details about the party involved in the targeting.”

The ministry continued, "the highest levels of diplomatic response will be taken, starting with resorting to the Security Council, as well as adopting all other measures decided in this regard."

Statement by Iraqi PM explicitly blaming Turkey for today’s artillery strike which killed at least nine civilians in Zakho Iraqi Kurdistan. One of the toughest statements from Iraq on the rising civilian toll in Turkey’s cross border war against the PKK pic.twitter.com/cdInEh8kbN

— Amberin Zaman (@amberinzaman) July 20, 2022

Local official said that more than 9 tourists were killed and 23 injured by the Turkish artillery shelling, that targeted a tourist resort in Kurdistan Region’s administrative unit of Zakho.