According to local Iraqi sources, on 24 July, the Turkish Zelikan military base in Bashiqa town came under attack by several rockets.

The Turkish base, located in Iraq’s Kurdistan region, was targeted by two fixed winged drones.

Iraqi resistant movement Saraya Awliya al-Dam (SAD) allegedly claimed responsibility for the attack, which they said was in retaliation for recent attacks by Turkish forces in Iraq, according to Sabereen News.

On 20 July, Turkish artillery fire struck a tourist resort in northern Iraq, causing the deaths of at least nine civilians, including two children.

Despite accusations by Iraqi authorities against Turkey, Ankara continues to deny responsibility,  repeating that Turkish forces avoid causing harm to civilians.

Instead, Ankara places the blame on the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), an armed group in Iraq and Syria. The PKK is deemed a terror group by Turkish authorities.

On 25 July, the Chief of Staff of the Iraqi army, Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah, said that Turkish forces had mobilized on Iraq’s shared border with Turkey, and that an estimated 4,000 Turkish fighters were distributed along five bases in northern Iraq.

During his speech at a parliament session held last week, Yarallah said that “the number of Turkish army checkpoints in 2021 was 40. At the beginning of 2022, it reached 90 checkpoints. Today, there are 100 army checkpoints inside the territory of Iraq, a short distance from the areas of Zakho, Amadiyah and Dohu.”

He continued to say that the Iraqi army must regain control in these areas to prevent Ankara from carrying out more attacks on Iraqi soil.

Iraqi resistance group SAD vowed on 22 July to launch retaliatory attacks within Turkish territory, unless Ankara’s forces, which are illegally stationed in Iraq, withdraw from the country.

The threat of retaliatory attacks comes in response to an artillery attack by the Turkish military on a tourist resort in the Parakh village in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR), north of Iraq.

Despite Turkey’s denial of the attack and its attempt to place the blame on Kurdish armed groups, reports from the area said that Turkish artillery bombardments continued in the vicinity of the resort.

Eyewitnesses said more than 20 artillery blasts have been recorded since 21 July.

Iraq’s foreign ministry has confirmed that it will be filing an urgent complaint against Turkey at the UN Security Council (UNSC).

In recent months, attacks by Turkey on Iraqi soil have been carried out continuously and without Iraq’s approval.

Ankara claims Baghdad supports its military activities against the PKK, but the Iraqi government has categorically denied such statements, saying there is no cooperation or approval for Turkish military action inside Iraq.