Two suicide drones were launched at a Turkish military base in Bamarni, Amadiyah district, north of Dohuk province in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR) on 22 July.

According to local sources, Turkish air defenses downed one of the drones while the other hit the base. No casualties were reported.

The drone attack was reportedly launched in response to a Turkish attack on a tourist resort in Dohuk that left nine civilians dead on 20 July.

Reports from the area also say artillery bombardments have continued over the past 24 hours in the vicinity of the tourist resort, with eyewitnesses saying more than 20 artillery blasts have been recorded since 21 July.

While Iraq blamed Turkey for Wednesday’s attack, Turkey denies responsibility and has said that Kurdish armed groups are to blame instead.

A statement released by the Turkish foreign ministry claims Ankara “is against all kinds of attacks targeting civilians,” and that their forces carry out military operations in foreign soil “in accordance with international law.”

Press Release Regarding the Attack Carried out in Iraq's Duhok Province https://t.co/wRg7dyLF4E pic.twitter.com/vvUAPK5rcs

— Turkish MFA (@MFATurkiye) July 20, 2022

Days before the attack on the tourist resort, a drone strike launched by the Turkish army in the IKR left five civilians dead.

Additionally, on 15 June, Ankara’s forces bombed the northern province of Sinjar, causing several casualties, including a 12-year-old child.

On 21 July, around 500 people gathered around the Turkish embassy in Baghdad to protest against the attack in Dohuk. The mobilization resulted in brief scuffles between Iraqi authorities and protesters.

One of the protesters, Haider al-Tamimi, accused Iraqi politicians as well as the autonomous Kurdish-led authorities of having responded timidly to the attack.

“We demand a decisive reaction from the Iraqi government,” Al-Tamimi said.

The Iraqi Council of Representatives called on the foreign ministry to make a list of all previous Turkish attacks and violations on the sovereignty of the country as the basis on which to file a complaint against Turkey at the UN Security Council.