SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region — A suspected Turkish drone strike on Friday targeted a vehicle in Sulaimani’s Saidsadiq district, killing two female journalists from Çetir Media Company and injuring another. The incident has ignited widespread condemnation and raised serious concerns about press freedom and regional security.
The attack occurred around 11 a.m., when the vehicle, carrying journalists Hero Bahaddin, Gulistan Tara, and Rebin Bakir, was struck near Tapa Rash village. Çetir Media Company, affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), confirmed the deaths of Bahaddin and Tara, with Bakir sustaining injuries. The journalists were returning from a professional assignment, according to Kamal Hassan Hamareza, the company’s general director.
Footage has gone viral on social media capturing the moment a vehicle from Çetir Media Company, linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), being struck by a suspected Turkish drone in Sulaimani’s Saidsadiq district on Friday. The strike resulted in the deaths of two female… pic.twitter.com/JIQKvE9IIf
— Zoom News (@zoomnewskrd) August 23, 2024
Reactions to the strike have been swift and severe. Kurdistan Region Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani issued a statement, denying claims from the Erbil-based Kurdistan Region’s Counterterrorism Unit that the victims were PKK members. Talabani emphasized that the journalists had no ties to any armed group and condemned the strike as an “unjustifiable crime” and a “blatant violation” of Iraqi sovereignty.
Talabani’s condemnation was echoed by Sulaimani’s Governor Haval Abubakir, who decried the military assault on civilians, calling the slain journalists “martyrs.” He stressed that military actions only exacerbate the region’s instability, urging a return to dialogue for lasting peace.
The People’s Front, led by Lahur Sheikh Jangi, also condemned the attack, labeling it a “terrorist” act and highlighting security failures within the Region. The party criticized the frequent drone strikes facilitated by local actors with political motives, which they argue endanger civilian lives.
Media organizations have also voiced their outrage. The Kurdistan Journalists Syndicate and Metro Center issued a joint statement condemning the strike as a severe violation of press freedom. They called on the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the Iraqi government to take decisive measures to protect journalists and uphold justice.
Despite denials of involvement from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reports from AFP, citing an Iraqi security official, suggested that the drone was Turkish. This incident is the latest in a series of attacks on journalists in the region, following a similar strike in July that killed a journalist in Sinjar.
The bodies of the two journalists were taken to the Sulaimani Medical Institute for examination. Hero Bahaddin has been laid to rest in her hometown of Arbat, while arrangements for Gulistan Tara’s burial are still pending.
