SULAIMANI (ESTA) — The Ministry of Peshmerga said on Saturday five members of the Kurdish forces were killed in ambush by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Mount Metina in the Region’s district of Amedi.
“The PKK fighters set an ambush for a Peshmerga unit carrying out a military mission in Metina mountain in Amedi district to protect people and villages of this area and to return security for the region,” the ministry said in a statement.
Five members of the Peshmerga forces were killed and seven others were wounded in the attack, the ministry added.
The ministry further said the PKK fighters had used light and heavy weapons in the attack.
“We had previously warned that in the event of such an incident, everyone must respect the Region’s borders and must not put its security and stability at risk,” it said.
The ministry called on the Iraqi government to “immediately” halt continued Turkish military’s attacks and aggression on the Region and also called on the PKK to respect the Kurdistan Region’s sovereignty and borders.
“We condemn in the strongest terms this attack and warn that the sensitive situation of the Kurdistan Region won’t bare such situation, and the PKK attacks and all other attacks must be halted on the Region and Peshmerga forces,” the ministry said.
Earlier, PKK media reported that the Peshmerga officers were killed and wounded in a Turkish airstrike on the Metina mountain.
Meanwhile, PKK-affiliated media reported that the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) had transferred forces and military equipment to Metina region from Amedi at dawn on Saturday.
The People’s Defense Forces (HPG), the PKK military wing, warned of the KDP step, calling on the party to “not stab the guerrillas in the back”.
“The force wants to go to our area in Metina, while we defend [it] against Turkey, which wants to invade Kurdistan,” the group said in a statement.
*This story was updated at 03:26 p.m. EBL time
