Because the thriller lingers over a helicopter crash that killed members of the PKK terrorist group in Iraq, the Kurdish Regional Authorities (KRG) in northern Iraq issued a brand new assertion concerning the incident final week. The helicopter was bought by a bunch throughout the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) political celebration, the premier of the KRG mentioned, in keeping with native media.
KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani famous that the helicopter crashed within the Duhok area throughout Nowruz Pageant celebrations on Saturday. “Really, the helicopter was bought by a bunch throughout the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), however we do not know the way it bought into the arms of the SDF (PKK/YPG),” Barzani mentioned, including that there was to date no additional details about a second helicopter within the space whose presence was speculated by media shops.
The SDF is the label the PKK terrorist group makes use of in Syria. In its greater than 35-year terror marketing campaign in opposition to Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist group by Türkiye, the U.S., and EU – has been liable for the deaths of over 40,000 folks, together with ladies, kids and infants.
“We are going to work with the worldwide coalition and the Iraqi Federal Authorities to additional examine this incident and discover out why these helicopters are flying with out permission in these areas. There’s a lot to elucidate,” he assured.
After the crash, the U.S. denied offering helicopter pilot coaching to its PKK-linked companions in Syria.
The anti-terrorism unit of the KRG issued a press release on Fb in response to the crash. It mentioned the related establishments alerted the Iraqi central authorities, worldwide coalition forces and Türkiye in regards to the crashed helicopter, “though it was later revealed that it didn’t belong to them.” The safety forces began a preliminary inquiry in regards to the helicopter. Preliminary outcomes steered it was a Eurocopter AS350 mannequin, and that a few of these killed within the crash had been PKK terrorists, whereas a radical inquiry is ongoing to find who owned the helicopter, the assertion added.
In a press release issued on Thursday, the Turkish Ministry of Nationwide Protection mentioned the allegations in varied social media posts claiming {that a} Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) helicopter crashed in northern Iraq, didn’t replicate the reality. On Friday, Protection Minister Hulusi Akar mentioned at an occasion that supporters of the PKK had been “caught red-handed as soon as once more” by giving a helicopter to terrorists. “They need to know that these efforts (of assist) are futile. Our struggle in opposition to terrorism will proceed till the final remaining terrorist is neutralized,” Akar asserted.
The KRG anti-terrorism unit mentioned in a social media put up that the helicopter was flying between Syria’s north and Iraq’s Sulaymaniyah when it crashed. The crashed helicopter was designed and manufactured in France and the French Overseas Ministry refused to touch upon the incident, in keeping with Anadolu Company (AA).