DUHOK, Kurdistan Region — In Nihele area of Duhok, tranquility is shattered by relentless Turkish airstrikes, leaving behind destruction and despair. Five villages currently bear the scars of this conflict, with residents living in fear as their homes and livelihoods are targeted.
Sigere village stands abandoned for months, a stark reminder of the toll of airstrikes. Nearby, Bilava village has endured repeated shelling, with recent attacks striking multiple locations in just 15 minutes, according to locals speaking to Zoom News.
Fouad Mohammed Ali, deeply affected by the violence, lamented the ongoing bombardments. “For a decade, our villages have been under siege,” he said. Just yesterday, five rockets tore through Bilava village, highlighting the daily threat faced by its inhabitants.
Turkish airstrikes in Duhok province's border areas have left villagers facing severe threats to both their lives and livelihoods. Over the past decade, these attacks have forced the abandonment of numerous villages.
Reporting by Hejin Fatah pic.twitter.com/h7qjAAMHqq
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Turkey targets border areas of the Kurdistan Region primarily due to the alleged presence of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which it claims to have bases in the mountainous areas, allegedly using these areas as a staging ground for attacks against Turkish targets.
Guherz village, once thriving with fertile lands, now battles frequent agricultural fires sparked by airstrikes. Ahmed Saadulla, the village chieftain, described the relentless onslaught: “Up to 20 rockets rain down on us daily, with drones haunting our skies.”
Further south, Sargalle village, once bustling with 400 families, has dwindled to a fraction due to airstrikes. Sherwan Rashid, a resident, described devastation: “Nearly a dozen vineyards, some with trees over a century old, have been reduced to ashes.”
The environmental impact is dire, with hundreds of dunams of farmland scorched by airstrikes. This has forced many villagers to abandon their homes, seeking safety elsewhere as the area, renowned for its beauty, bears the scars of conflict as communities reel from airstrikes.
With reporting by Hejin Fatah
