The United Nations Security Council has condemned a deadly attack in the Dohuk province of northern Iraq last week.
The Security Council’s statement was issued on Monday by the council’s president, Ronaldo Costa Filho.
“The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the attack in Dohuk province of Iraq on 20 July 2022. The attack resulted in at least nine civilian deaths, including children,” the statement said.
The attack on the district of Zakho also injured more than 20 people.
In their statement, the members of the Security Council also expressed their deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and to the governments of Iraq and the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, wished a speedy and full recovery to those who were injured, and expressed their support for the Iraqi authorities in their investigations.
The members of the Security Council also urged all member states to cooperate actively with the government of Iraq and all other relevant authorities in support of these investigations.
They also reiterated their support for the independence, sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity, democratic process and prosperity of Iraq.
Following the attack, Iraqi officials accused Turkey of staging the attack on civilians, with Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi warning Turkey that Baghdad reserves the “right to retaliate” and calling the artillery fire a “flagrant violation” of sovereignty, while Iraqi President Barham Saleh deplored repeated “Turkish bombardment” and said the situation amounted to a “national security threat.”
Turkey rejects the allegations and claims the attack was perpetrated by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) to damage the relations between Turkey and Iraq.
The PKK has been waging a bloody war in Turkey’s Southeast since 1984 and is labelled as a terrorist organization by Turkey and much of the international community, including the EU and the United States.