In an early morning drone strike, a Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) commander was killed and another militant was wounded in the Chamchamal district of the Kurdistan Region.

The drone attack targeted a vehicle carrying the PKK militants in a village near Aghjalar subdistrict at 9:30 am (local time), as reported by the Kurdistan Region's Directorate General of Counter Terrorism (CTD). The identities of those killed were not disclosed in the statement.

This incident comes after a previous drone strike by Turkey last year, in which all five passengers in another vehicle allegedly carrying PKK militants were killed in the same area.

The PKK and Turkey have been engaged in a violent military conflict for decades, resulting in a death toll of approximately 55,000 people. Turkey's advanced drone industry has enabled an increase in drone strikes in recent years, particularly targeting suspected PKK positions in urban centers of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. Similar strikes in the past have also been attributed to Turkey, leading to casualties, including senior PKK militants.

Kurdistan Region officials have consistently urged the Iraqi government, responsible for border security, to prevent insurgents and foreign militaries from conducting hostilities within its territory. Concerns have been raised about the growing presence of militia forces in the area, with much of the conflict taking place in the border regions of the Kurdistan Region, posing a significant threat to the civilian population.