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Kurds claim Turkish airstrike targeted refugee camp in Iraq

Fingers are pointed at Turkey as the dust clears from an explosion that killed five people in an Iraq refugee camp for displaced Kurds.

Makhmour_Camp.jpg
The aftermath of an explosion at Iraq's Makhmour refugee camp is seen in this image tweeted Dec. 6, 2017. — Hawar News Agency

A mysterious explosion near a refugee camp harboring thousands of displaced Turkish Kurds has killed five members of a Kurdish militia and injured three others amid claims that Turkey was responsible for the alleged attack.

The administrative council for the Makhmour camp, southwest of Erbil, claimed late Wednesday's blast was caused by an airstrike carried out by Turkey. The council, which is believed to have close ties to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), said, “It is significant that a camp under the protection of the United Nations, located in the middle of Iraqi territory was attacked. The Federal Iraqi State, the Kurdistan Regional Government and the UN will be clearly implicated until they issue convincing explanations on the matter.” But the statement failed to specify by what means Turkey had conducted the alleged aerial attack.

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