Iraqi Army Downs Turkish Drone Over Kirkuk Amid Rising Tensions.

A Turkish drone was shot down by the Iraqi army in Kirkuk, a strategic city in northern Iraq. This incident occurs in a context of heightened tensions due to Turkish military operations targeting PKK positions on Iraqi soil.
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Pictures of downed Aksungur UAV based on locals videos (Picture source: Locals)

The Iraqi army shot down a Turkish drone on Thursday, August 29th, in the city of Kirkuk, a metropolis in northern Iraq. Kirkuk, a region rich in oil and of strategic importance, is under the control of the federal government in Baghdad, but it is located near the territories of the autonomous Kurdistan region. The drone, which came from the direction of Sulaymaniyah, a major city in Iraqi Kurdistan, crashed in the center of Kirkuk, causing material damage.

The incident caused panic among the residents, and a local worker was injured when the drone fell. This event is part of a series of similar incidents that have marked the year, where Turkish drones are frequently shot down or crash during operations in northern Iraq.

Turkey regularly conducts military operations against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a group it classifies as terrorist. These operations include airstrikes and ground incursions on Iraqi territory, particularly in the mountainous northern regions where the PKK has established rear bases. For more than 25 years, Turkey has also maintained military bases in this region, strengthening its military presence in the autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan.

Based on the available images and identification plates, the drone in question is of the Aksungur model. The Aksungur is a medium-altitude, long-endurance drone with a wingspan of approximately 24 meters and a length of 12 meters. It is capable of carrying a payload of up to 750 kg, allowing it to perform various missions, whether intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), or precision attacks. With its remarkable endurance, the Aksungur can fly for up to 50 hours continuously, reaching a maximum altitude of 40,000 feet. Its maximum speed is around 250 km/h, making it a versatile tool for the armed forces in various operational conditions.

Not only capable of conducting long-duration surveillance operations, it is also able to carry out air-to-ground strikes with formidable precision thanks to its capacity to carry air-to-ground bombs or missiles. In the images available to us, an anti-aircraft system, Pantsir-S1, can be seen, which is undoubtedly responsible for the shot that destroyed the Turkish drone, which, according to Iraqi officials, was flying over Iraqi airspace without flight authorization.

This event comes shortly after another incident where a Turkish drone strike killed two journalists affiliated with the PKK east of Sulaymaniyah. This escalation of tensions underscores the complexity of relations between Iraq and Turkey, as Baghdad seeks to protect its sovereignty while cooperating with Ankara on certain security issues.

Although Baghdad discreetly classified the PKK as a banned organization last March, this military action against a Turkish aircraft marks a more assertive stance by the Iraqi government. This decision could also be seen as a response to Turkey's repeated incursions into Iraqi territory.

Turkey, for its part, may intensify its military operations in the region in response to this incident, which could further worsen the security situation in northern Iraq. The two countries recently signed a military cooperation agreement, but this incident highlights the fragilities of this agreement and the challenges posed by the fight against the PKK.