Two female journalists were killed when their car was attacked by a bomb-laden drone in Sulaimaniyah northern province on Friday, August 23.
The security agencies of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) have not yet officially confirmed who was behind the attack, but several media outlets claim that it was a Turkish drone.
The incident took place at 11:00 am on Friday, August 23, near Said Sadiq district, as a team from Chatr Company was heading to a production assignment in two vehicles, with one of the vehicles being targeted.
Hero Bahadin had been working for Sterk TV and Chatra for six years. She was from the Sangaw sub-district in Sulaimani province and held a degree in civil engineering. Gulistan, who had been with Chatra for three years, was from North Kurdistan (Turkey). Rebin Bakr was also injured and is in stable condition.
"The deceased and injured were journalists and had no affiliation with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). They were working in the media, not militants or spies," stated Raza Hassan, the director of Chatr, which also owns Sterk TV, during a press conference.
This statement came after the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) anti-terrorism agency released a statement claiming that a PKK official and two militants were targeted.
"We will report this incident to all international organizations to advocate for the rights of journalists. This is a dangerous occurrence, as journalists are not adequately protected," said Karwan Anwar, head of the Sulaimani branch of the Kurdistan Union of Journalists.
Chatr invests in films, documentaries, and television programs, and has partnerships with various media and television channels, including Sterk TV.
Turkey-the Kurdistan Workers' Party PKK conflict is a concern for the locals as the Turkish army regularly conducts cross-border operations and air raids on PKK bases in northern Iraq and the disputed territories. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed end of January 2021 to attack Shingal, Nineveh, at any time in pursuit of PKK-affiliated groups deployed in the region.
"The victims of the drone attack near Said Sadiq district were two female journalists, not members of an armed force posing a threat to any country or region's security and stability," stated Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani in a press release.
"This is a violation of international laws and norms, and we strongly condemn it. It is a blatant disregard for Iraqi sovereignty."
Talabani urged the federal government and the international community to take action against these violations that are endangering the lives of civilians in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq KRI, without naming any specific state.
A source within the company anonymously informed KirkukNow that two vehicles from the company were targeted near Said Sadiq, resulting in the destruction and burning of one vehicle, leading to the death of two employees.
"The other vehicle sustained damage from the attack, and the injured employees were taken to the hospital."
Chatr, a licensed company operating in the KRI, primarily collaborates with media outlets aligned with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
Hero Ibrahim was laid to rest in Sulaimani yesterday, but the burial arrangements for Gulistan are still pending.
