Iraq protests Turkey's bombing of Kurd rebels

Baghdad: Iraq lodged an official complaint with Turkey yesterday claiming it had bombarded Iraq's northern Kurdish region and warning that the attack against Kurdish rebels could destabilise the region.

Regarding the Turkish bombing, a ministry statement said: "The Foreign Ministry delivered a letter to the charge d'affaires of Turkey protesting the bombardment of Iraq around Dohuk and Arbil which caused huge damage, fire and spread panic among the people."

Jabbar Yawar, spokesman for the Kurdish security forces in northern Iraq, said the Turkish shelling targeted Dohuk province.

"The Turkish artillery bombardment took place at dawn [yesterday], targeting villages in Dohuk province," he told reporters.

"The shelling lasted for 45 minutes and was aimed at villages in the Zakho and Amadiyah regions of Dohuk," he said, naming a series of villages where the shells crashed.