Turkish jets shell Mount Asos on Rojhilat-Bashur border

Asos mountain on the Iran-Iraq (Eastern and Southern Kurdistan) border has been shelled by Turkish warplanes.

Turkish warplanes have shelled Mount Asos located on the border between Rojhilat (Eastern) and Bashur (Southern) Kurdistan.

According to local sources, the bombardment was carried out by 20 jets and lasted two hours.

Surveillance aircraft were sent to the area following the airstrikes that caused huge material damage on the properties of civilians.

The Asos mountain is located on the border between Rojhilat’s Sardasht city and Sharbajar in Bashur’s Sulaymaniyah city.

Asos is an area outside of the Medya Defense Zones where the PKK forces are positioned. The area has experienced an air raid by Turkish jets for the first time on November 4th. Sources say Iranian scout planes were flying over the area shortly before the Turkish jets’ bombing. The general opinion is that Iran scouted and Turkey bombed.

Kurdish forces are silent in the face of these attacks. Asos is a PUK controlled area, and the PUK has not reacted to the bombings. KDP, which hosts 18 Turkish bases in its own region and cooperates with Ankara in attacks on the PKK, is currently concerned with holding on to power and it would be out of the ordinary if it reacts to this attack.

On November 14, Rojhilat Kurdistan Defense Forces Central Command issued a written statement on Iran's artillery attacks on the Asos mountain. The statement warned Iran to cease all attacks.

The statement said Iranian forces attacked the Asos mountain on November 12 with artilleries and continued: “On November 12, between 9.30 and 10.00, Iranian forces have hit the Asos region with artillery fire in coordination with scout planes. Orchards and gardens of citizens in the Galale village of the Mawet district have been damaged in the attack. This constitutes the second attack, the first of which was carried out by Turkish jet fighters in coordination with Iranian scout planes. Our forces haven't suffered any losses in the bombing, but citizens in the Asos region have suffered damages to their orchards and gardens.”

The statement stressed that the attacks are a result of the deal between Turkey and Iran, and said Iran has once again displayed their animosity against the people, and has violated the borders of Bashurê Kurdistan once again.

The statement concluded with a warning to Iran and pointed out that if the attacks continue, the situation will be assessed as within the bands of legitimate self-defense.