- No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Ankara on Thursday launched a "comprehensive air operation" against the PKK in Iraqi Kurdistan's Qandil mountain area
- Since May, Turkey has been conducting a ground offensive and bombing campaign against Qandil to root out the PKK, considered a "terror organisation" by Ankara for its three-decade insurgency against the Turkish state
ERBIL, IRAQ: Iraqi Kurdish authorities announced on Saturday they had arrested two suspects involved in the murder of three people, including a Turkish diplomat, in the regional capital Erbil this week.
The autonomous region鈥檚 security council said its counterterrorism unit had arrested Mazloum Dag, a 27-year-old from Turkey鈥檚 Diyarbakir region.
The council had put out a wanted notice for Dag a day earlier in connection to Wednesday鈥檚 killing of Turkish Vice Consul Osman Kose and two Iraqi nationals in the regional capital Erbil.
It later announced it had also arrested Mohammad Biskesiz, identifying him as 鈥渙ne of the accomplices of Mazloum Dag.鈥�
It did not specify Biskesiz鈥檚 nationality or whether he was apprehended with Dag or separately.
Turkey鈥檚 Anadolu state news agency said the suspect is the brother of Dersim Dag, a member of Turkey鈥檚 main pro-Kurdish party, the People鈥檚 Democratic Party (HDP).
The HDP, the country鈥檚 second largest opposition group, is regularly accused by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of links to Turkey鈥檚 outlawed separatist Kurdistan Workers鈥� Party (PKK).
It 鈥渟trongly鈥� condemned the Erbil attack, calling it an 鈥渁bsolutely unacceptable provocation attempt.鈥�
The HDP also slammed the accusation that one of its deputies was 鈥渄esignated as a target because of his brother,鈥� without mentioning any names.
FASTFACT
Erbil鈥檚 security council had put out a wanted notice for Mazloum Dag a day earlier in connection to Wednesday鈥檚 killing of Turkish Vice Consul Osman Kose and two Iraqi nationals in the regional capital Erbil.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Ankara on Thursday launched a 鈥渃omprehensive air operation鈥� against the PKK in Iraqi Kurdistan鈥檚 Qandil mountain area.
Since May, Turkey has been conducting a ground offensive and bombing campaign against Qandil to root out the PKK, considered a 鈥渢error organization鈥� by Ankara for its three-decade insurgency against the Turkish state.
PKK targeted
Other airstrikes on Thursday night targeted 鈥淧KK bases and members鈥� in the Makhmur area south of Iraq鈥檚 northern city of Mosul, wounding two in a displacement camp, local sources told AFP.
The attack on Wednesday saw at least one gunman with two pistols fire on a group of diplomats in a restaurant in Erbil. Kose and one Iraqi died on Wednesday, while the second Iraqi succumbed to his wounds overnight.