ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) claimed responsibility on Wednesday for two drone attacks on Peshmerga forces in Duhok province, which left five Peshmerga personnel injured earlier this week.
The Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC) stated on Tuesday that five Peshmerga personnel were injured in two drone attacks in Duhok province over the course of two days. The KRSC blamed a "terrorist group," without specifying its identity.
The People’s Defense Forces (HPG), the PKK's military wing operating in the mountains, stated on Wednesday that Peshmerga forces affiliated with the Kurdistan Region's ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) have established "a new military base" between the villages of Guherze and Balave.
“Definitely, holding this strategic point is part of the Turkish army's plan to besiege and annihilate our forces, who have heroically continued the resistance in Zap for four years. Against this, our command in the area made light-level warning interventions once on April 28 and 29, taking care to avoid loss of life,” it added.
The HPG also claimed that the Peshmerga forces were attempting to block a key road that connects PKK fighters in the Zap and Gare mountains.
The KDP and PKK have long been historical enemies, with their rivalry intensifying in the 1990s, when they were involved in a civil war that severely impacted the Kurdistan Region.
Turkey and the PKK have been engaged in a decades-long armed conflict. Ankara and its Western allies consider the group a terrorist organization. Founded in 1978, the PKK initially struggled for autonomy but now seeks broader cultural and political rights within Turkey.
Renewed peace efforts to resolve the Ankara-PKK conflict - which has lasted more than four decades and claimed over 40,000 lives - have gained new momentum in recent months.
Senior KDP leaders have expressed support for the peace talks, with some claiming to have played a pivotal role in facilitating dialogue between the warring sides. However, the KDP-dominated KRSC on Tuesday indirectly accused the PKK of attempting to undermine the peace process.
