Turkish army bombs village of Hiror

The Turkish army continues its attacks in South Kurdistan, which are against international law. Since the early morning, there have already been air and artillery attacks in parts of Zap and Metîna. The village of Hiror is once again affected by Turkey’s warlike actions. There, bombardments burnt down a large part of the bee colonies that were overwintering in winter bunches. Beekeeping is a main source of livelihood for the villagers of Hiror.

As mobile phone footage from a resident shows, the hives, which are currently wintering in hibernation, are located in the middle of the village in close proximity to residential houses. The beekeeper’s voice can be heard in the background of the video. He complains about the permanent attacks of the Turkish state in the region. “This is our situation with the Turkish state. We are asking our government to find a solution for us.” Referring to the Turkish government’s excuse for bombings in the neighbouring country, which has been the same for years, of only taking action against the PKK presence, the resident said: “Neither the PKK nor any other force is staying in our village.”

The village of Hiror is located in Metîna, about ninety kilometres north of Duhok, the capital of the KDP-controlled governorate of the same name. The village is repeatedly targeted by Turkish attacks, especially in the summer months. In the course of Turkey’s occupation offensive launched in April, called “Operation Claw Lightning”, several people from the village were injured by air and artillery attacks. In early September, Hiror had been attacked with chemical weapons, injuring members of a local family, according to the Christian Peacemaker Teams-Iraqi Kurdistan (CPT-IK) peace initiative. The Kurdish regional government in Hewlêr (Erbil) ignores the Erdoğan regime’s occupation efforts,