* 9 villages have been completely displaced.

* At least 184 families have been displaced.

* Approximately 68,000 dunams of land have been burned.

* 1 church, 1 tahini factory, 1 car, 2 water projects, and 19 civilian houses have been damaged or destroyed.

* 1 civilian injured.

* The electricity grids and towers of Bari Gare villages and Miska village have been targeted.

* Turkish telecommunication equipment and towers have interrupted the networks in the areas of over 110 villages. 

On June 15th, the Turkish Armed Forces began a new military operation and offensive in the Berwary Bala area to seize control of Matina Mountain and its surrounding areas with an eye towards gaining control of Gara Mountain. The military operations have been conducted by both ground and aerial forces with the deployment of an estimated 1250 Turkish soldiers, 300 tanks, and intensifying aerial bombardments. Since the new operation on June 15th, Turkey has conducted at least 381 bombardments in Iraqi Kurdistan mainly through fighter jets but also by artillery shellings and drones. There has been considerable civilian impact mainly in the form of displacement, loss of economic livelihoods, agricultural land loss, ecological damage, and one verified casualty (1 injured). 

 The new military operation has resulted in the displacement of nine villages.  Eight of the villages are located in the Amedi district with one located in the Batifa district. Four villages from the Bari Gara area, located south of Amedi on the northern foot of Gara Mountain have been displaced. Those include Mizhe village, which had 38 families and had one of its schools bombed in February earlier this year during the preparatory phase of the current operation and had two houses destroyed; Spindare village, which had 43 families and a civilian house bombed and destroyed; Kafna Mizhe, which was home to 32 families and had one civilian house destroyed; and Girgashe, which was inhabited by 16 families. Many of the families, who relied on agriculture for their income, have lost their economic livelihoods due to their displacement to Deraluk and Duhok. The displaced families are now jobless, with some working as laborers or fruit sellers. In addition to displacement, the area had much of its forests burned that had vital trees and plants, which included apple trees, sumac trees, oak trees, walnut trees, qazwan trees, and daraban trees. Four villages from the Berwary Bala area, located northwest of Amedi near the northern foot of Matina Mountain have also experienced displacement. Those include Miska village, which had 16 families and was subjected to intense bombardments and the entry of Turkish soldiers into civilian houses, resulting in 85% of its agricultural land being burned, two houses being bombed, its church being bombed, its water well being bombed, and nine total civilian houses being damaged; Dargale Musa Bagi, which had 10 families, had its Tahini factory bombed, and were explicitly told by Turkish soldiers to leave; Shelaza; and Bishele. One village called Demka, located in the Batifa region, has also been displaced, and it was home to 12 families.

Many villages in the Amedi and Batifa regions have been suffering from agricultural loss, ecological damage, and intense bombardment. At least 68,000 dunams of forests and agricultural land have been burned. Local farmers used much of the land for harvesting vegetables, fruits, and nuts, which served as a primary source of income for many families in the impacted area. For example, on July 6th, Turkish soldiers were shooting at Dere village in the Zakho region from their base on Shakhol Mountain, which caused a fire that spread for four kilometers. Additionally, Turkey has bombed the village of Guharze, home to 174 families and located 10 km southeast of the city of Amedi, at least 45 times, causing damage to six houses, one vehicle, and an agricultural water project. The attacks mainly originate from a newly established military base near Gre Bahar Hill. Additionally, the new military bases have imported and constructed telecommunication towers that have disrupted Kurdish telecommunication networks in the areas of over 110 villages, resulting in local residents receiving messages such as "Goodbye from Iraq" and “Have a nice trip in Turkey".

In total, Turkey has built 10 additional military bases and outposts in Iraqi Kurdistan, totaling 74. The new bases include two in the Nhely area of Amedia, seven in the Batifa area of Zakho, and one in the Sidakan area of Soran. Additionally, the Turkish military has established one checkpoint and at least two temporary checkpoints in the evenings and have been checking the IDs and vehicles of all civilians passing through.

 As a result of the latest operation, there has been one civilian casualty. On July 12, 2024, Nechirwan Hakim was injured by artillery shelling in the Sidakan area while shepherding and tending to his animals. The bombardment originated from the newly established Turkish military base on Shakif Mountain in the Sidakan area.

 Civilian harm, displacement, and damages to civilian infrastructure and livelihoods are part of ongoing patterns of Turkish military operations and incursions into Iraqi Kurdistan. At the beginning of the year, Turkey conducted a preparatory phase of the current military operations, resulting in nine casualties (8 killed and one injured). Furthemore, since the 1990s 170 villages have been displaced and 602 are at risk of complete displacement. Since 1991, there have been at least 703 civilian casualties by the Turkish Armed Forces.

CPT - Iraqi Kurdistan