Since the 1980s, Turkey and Iran have conducted military operations in northern Iraq, purportedly targeting various armed non-state opposition Kurdish groups, such as the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and its affiliated armed groups, as well as the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (KDP-I). This report focuses on civilian impacts since Iraqi Kurdistan’s semi-autonomous territory was established in 1991.
This report collates, documents, and verifies the immediate harm to the civilian population—death and injury—caused by Turkish and Iranian military operations inside Iraqi Kurdistan, as well as the broader impact on civilian life. Extensive military operations by the Turkish and Iranian military forces have resulted in forced displacement, environmental damage, the destruction of civilian infrastructure, and socioeconomic hardship. Casualties mainly occur during a broad range of civilian activities, including income generation (such as agriculture, animal husbandry, foraging, subsistence entrepreneurship, etc.), recreation (communal and family visits, celebrations, picnics, tourism), or simply being at home. As a result, since 1991, Turkish and Iranian military operations have caused 845 civilian casualties (425 killed and 420 injured), 15 non-belligerent casualties (10 killed and 5 injured), and 8 non-combatant casualties (8 killed) inside Iraqi Kurdistan.
The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) are responsible for 83% of civilian casualties inside Iraqi Kurdistan, constituting an overwhelming majority. 344 civilians have been killed and 358 have been injured due to Turkish military operations, resulting in a total of 702 casualties. 39% of these casualties occurred between 2018 and 2024, due to a rapid increase in military operations inside Iraqi Kurdistan that began in December 2017. These ‘Claw’ series of operations aim to create a buffer zone incorporating most of the 360-kilometer-long Iraq/Turkey border region. To date, Turkey has constructed 74 military bases inside Iraqi Kurdistan. The Turkish military presence and operations have caused the displacement of thousands of people from at least 170 villages, with a further 602 villages at risk of displacement, while also severely disrupting local economies, livelihoods, and indigenous ways of life. Underscoring the perpetual targeting of civilian life is the fact that the majority of casualties occurred when the victims were at home or engaged in agriculture, accounting for 59% of the total. Particularly concerning is that 28% of the casualties are children, totaling 194 casualties, with 79 killed and 115 injured.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is responsible for 17% of civilian casualties inside Iraqi Kurdistan. 81 civilians have been killed and 62 injured due to Iranian military operations, totaling 143 casualties. Following the end of the Iran-Iraq war in 1988, Iran continued bombarding Iraqi Kurdistan territory mainly using artillery, resulting in the deaths of 63 civilians and the injuries of 48 individuals, amounting to a total of 111 casualties. These casualties make up 78% of the overall casualties caused by Iranian military actions. In addition, since 2013, Iran has constructed at least 151 military bases along the Iran-Iraq border, resulting in civilian casualties and displacement due to bombardments, landmines, and small arms fire from the bases. Also underscoring the targeting of civilian life is that the highest percentage of civilian casualties occurred when the victims were at home or engaged in agriculture, accounting for 54%.
Iraqi Parliamentary Law 20 of 2009 and Law 57 of 2015 state that the government must provide financial compensation to all Iraqi citizens affected or harmed by military operations and terrorist actions. Additionally, according to an order from the KRG Deputy Prime Minister issued in 2011, all Iraqi citizens that reside in Iraqi Kurdistan that are killed by Turkish and Iranian militaries should be considered national martyrs. However, due to insufficient data since 1991, political dynamics, and a lack of state institutions addressing these issues, the government has not provided any support or compensation to the majority of impacted civilians. The government has not designated 46% of killed Iraqi citizens as martyrs, leaving their families without any form of compensation. 93% of injured Iraqi citizens remain uncompensated, with many suffering from disabilities that prevent them from working and earning an income. Of the 420 injured civilians, 155 (37%) are in need of further medical assistance.
To download and read the full report:
