In this photo provided by the Media Office of the Prime Minister of Iraq, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, with sunglasses, and relatives of nine people who were killed in an artillery attack blamed on Turkey in the northern Iraqi Kurdish region, attend a ceremony to receive the bodies of the victims as they arrive at Baghdad Airport, Iraq, Thursday, July 21, 2022. Turkey’s foreign minister on Thursday rejected accusations that the country’s military carried out the deadly artillery strikes. (Media Office of the Prime Minister of Iraq via AP)
OAN NEWSROOM
UPDATED 8:14 AM PT – Thursday, July 21, 2022
Washington, D.C. is monitoring a deadly situation in Iraq. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said officials are closely watching the aftermath of a shelling that killed eight tourists and wounded 23 others at a resort in Northern Iraq on Wednesday.
“We express our condolences to the families of the victims of today’s actions,” Price stated. “We emphasize the importance of ensuring that civilians are protected and we will continue to monitor the situation closely as additional information emerges. For the time being, we will defer to our Iraqi partners for additional comment.”
Iraqi state media accused Turkey of executing the bombardment, but the nation denied any involvement.
Iraqi FM Hussein says Turkey instead of fighting PKK, it’s occupying and attacking villages & attacking civilians. He says Turkey should stop all the military operations on Iraq’s soil immediately & they will take this issue to UN Security Council & use other diplomatic channels pic.twitter.com/0tyhVIM6HC
— Mutlu Civiroglu (@mutludc) July 20, 2022
In a previous press briefing, Price reiterated the US position that military action in Iraq should respect state sovereignty, but also ensures the safety of civilians.