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Iraq Summons Turkish Ambassador over Refugee Camp Strike

A Kurdish Peshmerga fighter on the outskirts of Makhmour, near Erbil in northern Iraq. (AP file photo)
A Kurdish Peshmerga fighter on the outskirts of Makhmour, near Erbil in northern Iraq. (AP file photo)
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Iraq Summons Turkish Ambassador over Refugee Camp Strike

A Kurdish Peshmerga fighter on the outskirts of Makhmour, near Erbil in northern Iraq. (AP file photo)
A Kurdish Peshmerga fighter on the outskirts of Makhmour, near Erbil in northern Iraq. (AP file photo)

Iraq summoned on Friday Ankara’s ambassador to Baghdad, Fatih Yildiz, after a Turkish drone strike against a refugee camp east of Mosul.

The strikes on the Makhmour refugee camp in northern Iraq were carried out by a Turkish military drone that was detected by Iraq’s air defense, a statement from the foreign ministry said. Two refugee women were killed.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammed al-Hakim stressed to Yildiz “the need to stop such serious violations and respect the principles of good neighbourliness,” according to a statement.

Yildiz was handed a letter of complaint, with the ministry expressing “condemnation in the strongest possible terms over these Turkish attacks”, saying they “constituted a serious violation of international humanitarian law.”

The Turkish government claims the refugee camp is a hotbed of the Kurdistan Worker’s Party, or PKK, an outlawed group in Turkey that is fighting an insurgency against Ankara.

Turkey has repeatedly struck PKK positions in northern Iraq in efforts to cut the group’s supply routes.

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Arab World

Islamabad: 50,000 Pakistanis Are Missing in Iraq

Every year, millions of Shiites flock to religious sites in Iraq’s Najaf and Karbala. (EPA)
Every year, millions of Shiites flock to religious sites in Iraq’s Najaf and Karbala. (EPA)
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Islamabad: 50,000 Pakistanis Are Missing in Iraq

Every year, millions of Shiites flock to religious sites in Iraq’s Najaf and Karbala. (EPA)
Every year, millions of Shiites flock to religious sites in Iraq’s Najaf and Karbala. (EPA)

Pakistan’s Minister of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Chaudhry Salik Hussain sparked controversy when he revealed that 50,000 Pakistanis have gone missing in Iraq over the years.

He urged the Baghdad government to immediately launch a probe into how the Pakistanis entered Iraq to visit religious sites during the month of Muharram, he was quoted as saying by Pakistan’s Ummat newspaper.

Islamabad is investigating how people have traveled outside Pakistan through illegal means, he remarked.

The permanent committee for religious affairs and interfaith harmony has since proposed new policies for trips to holy sites in foreign countries, including Iraq.

In Iraq, the minister’s comments drew mockery and condemnation on social media and sparked renewed debate over illegal workers in the country.

Politician Mishaan al-Juburi urged the government to make a statement over Hussain’s comments, warning that they may impact security and the labor force.

Hussain’s comments coincided with Iraqi police announcing the arrest of six Pakistanis in Baghdad on charges of theft.

Previously, military intelligence also announced the arrest of a nine-member Pakistani kidnapping and extortion gang in Baghdad. The gang had kidnapped foreigners for ransom.

Meanwhile, Labor Minister Ahmed al-Asadi expressed his concern and condemnation over the increasing number of illegal workers in Iraq.

He said his ministry will investigate the disappearance of the Pakistanis.

He confirmed that several tourists, including Pakistanis, have flocked to Iraq in recent days, and many have taken up employment without the necessary legal permits.

He warned that this phenomenon is negatively impacting the national economy.

The ministry will not be lenient in taking the necessary legal measures against the violators, he vowed.

Iraq welcomes all tourists, whether they are here on a religious visit or otherwise, but they must respect local laws and regulations, declared Asadi.

Every year, millions of Shiites flock to religious sites in Iraq’s Najaf and Karbala.