An explosion caused by Turkish bombardment in a border town inside the Kurdistan Region. (Photo: Kurdistan24 Archive)
Residents of the Kani Masi area in Duhok province,. Iraqi Kurdistan are fleeing their homes after Turkish warplanes bombed targets near their villages on Tuesday. The Turkish military released a video on social media Wednesday showing video footage of airstrikes which allegedly killed additional “terrorists” in the Kurdistan-Turkey border region. Turkey claims to have killed 62 such “PKK terrorists” since the beginning of Operation Eagle Claw one month ago today.
Kani Masi residents described relentless bombing that is leaving them “terrified.” One farmer reported that “all the mountains surrounding Kani Masi are being bombarded….when we go to our farmlands, we are really scared.” Another resident who had already fled violence in Baghdad expressed his despair. “Where to flee now? Airstrikes occur every day. We have no life.”
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FAI has teams on the ground throughout Kurdistan, partnering with authorities and residents for medical care, education, aid distribution and more.
Yesterday’s airstrikes were just the latest in Turkey’s ongoing campaign to increase its military presence in Iraqi Kurdistan. Besides the bombing and shelling of hundreds of targets in cooperation with the Iranian military, Turkey has also broadened its network of “military points” (i.e. bases and outposts) within Kurdistan. Previously limited to a few locations along the Kurdistan-Turkey border, now over 40 such “military points” exist throughout Kurdistan, including major cities such as Duhok, Erbil and Soran, where FAI field teams are serving local communities that are still reeling from COVID-19. The health ministry of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is reporting hundreds of new Coronavirus cases and dozens of deaths every day.
We ask our global FAI family to continue in prayer for the people of Kurdistan, which includes not only Kurds, but Assyrians, Yezidis, Arabs, and many other minority groups who have fled violence and persecution in other places to find safe haven within Kurdistan’s relatively tolerant society. We pray for the Turkish offensive to be frustrated and turned back in failure. We pray for our field teams, the KRG and other aid groups to be granted divine wisdom and favor in treating COVID-19 patients. And as always, we pray for the catastrophes of war and plague to continue to open doors for Good News to be proclaimed to the harassed and helpless, on whom the Lord still has compassion today.
Maranatha.
