Turkish jets launched strikes against Kurdistan Workers Party (P.K.K.) targets in northern Iraq a day after P.K.K. militants are believed to have killed and wounded several Turkish soldiers in a rocket attack launched from Iraqi territory.
Families along the border with Iran were forced to flee a shelling campaign by the Iranian Army on Barbazin and Berkama. The targets are believed to be Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran camps. Members of this Iranian political party recently took up arms against Iran again after a 20-year truce.
The United States sent its first installment of money to be used to pay Peshmerga salaries. Because of the crash in oil prices, the Kurdistan government cannot meet its financial obligations, and the U.S. has offered to help.
The United Nations Development Program is launching a plan to help Iraq deal with its rampant government corruption. It will train auditors to investigate charges. Currently, Iraqi is 161st out of 168 nations in Transparency International’s Corruption Index.
Brett McGurk, special U.S. Presidential Envoy, admits there are political problems present in Iraq, particularly corruption and infighting. However, he believes these issues will not affect the upcoming operation to recover Mosul, even though Defense Minister Khalid al-Obeidi is accused of corruption and counter-accusing others of the same.
At least 74 people were killed and 26 more wounded:
In Mosul, eight men were executed. A militant beheaded his father for approving of the family’s move outside of Daesh territory.
A bombing at a market in Madaen left three shoppers dead and five wounded
A rare suicide bombing in Memalha, near Samawa, left two policemen dead.
Three suicide bombers near Qayara left two policemen dead and six wounded.
A militant official and his aide were killed in an airstrike on Qaim. Sami Jassim al-Jabouri, also known as Haji Hamad, was in charge of the Islamic State’s oil operations. The Kurdistan Region Security Council and U.S. Special Forces were involved in the mission. Another 18 militants were killed in the strikes.
Airstrikes in Nineveh province left 25 militants dead.
In Hawija, strikes left five militants dead and 15 wounded.
An airstrike on Bartala left four militants dead.
