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Turkey Accuses ‘Terrorists’ of Targeting Civilians in Iraq's Dohuk

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. Reuters file photo
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. Reuters file photo
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Turkey Accuses ‘Terrorists’ of Targeting Civilians in Iraq's Dohuk

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. Reuters file photo
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. Reuters file photo

Turkey has not carried out any attacks targeting civilians in Iraq's Dohuk province, where a strike killed eight and wounded 23, and Iraqi authorities must not fall for this "trap", Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday.

Turkey on Wednesday rejected claims by Iraqi officials and state media that it had carried out an attack on a mountain resort in the northern Dohuk province.

At least four artillery shells struck the resort area of Barakh in the Zakho district in the semi-autonomous Kurdish-run region.

Hundreds of Iraqi tourists come to the Kurdish region from the south during the peak summer months because the weather is relatively cooler.

Iraq summoned Ankara's ambassador to Baghdad over the attack and its state agency said the government will call back its charge d'affaires in Ankara.

Cavusoglu told state broadcaster TRT Haber the Turkish military operations in Iraq have always been against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), saying the attack on Dohuk was also carried out by what he called terrorists.

Turkey regularly carries out airstrikes in northern Iraq and has sent commandos to support its offensives as part of a long-running campaign in Iraq and Syria against militants of the Kurdish PKK and the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia. Ankara regards both as terrorist groups.

Cavusoglu said reports blaming Turkey for the attack were attempts by the PKK to hinder Ankara's counter-terrorism.

"The whole world knows we would never carry out an attack on civilians," Cavusoglu said, adding the Turkish military had told his ministry that no such attack was carried out by Turkey.

"Following this attack, which we believe the (PKK) terrorist organization carried out, we are ready to hold talks with Iraqi officials. We can cooperate for the curtain of fog to be lifted. Until that is lifted, it is not right to blame Turkey," he said.

The top United Nations envoy to Iraq condemned it and called for an investigation.

“Civilians are once again suffering the indiscriminate effects of explosive weapons. Under international law, attacks must not be directed at the civilian population,” said the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).

It called for “a thorough investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the attack.”

Dozens of Iraqis gathered on Wednesday outside the Turkish embassy in Baghdad to protest the attack.

Cavusoglu said that while there were protests outside the embassy and other Turkish offices, there were no reports of damage or injuries.

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Arab World

Sudanese Powers Reject Burhan’s Call for National Dialogue

Nairobi Declaration forces meet in Addis Ababa on Sunday. (Nairobi Declaration forces)
Nairobi Declaration forces meet in Addis Ababa on Sunday. (Nairobi Declaration forces)
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Sudanese Powers Reject Burhan’s Call for National Dialogue

Nairobi Declaration forces meet in Addis Ababa on Sunday. (Nairobi Declaration forces)
Nairobi Declaration forces meet in Addis Ababa on Sunday. (Nairobi Declaration forces)

Sudanese political and civilian powers rejected on Sunday the call for dialogue by Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council and Commander of the Sudanese Army Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

After two days of discussions in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, the powers said the dialogue consolidates division in Sudan.

Earlier this month, al-Burhan declared that he was agreeing to an initiative to form an independent national mechanism that would prepare “comprehensive dialogue”. He vowed to provide legal, security, political and logistic guarantees for the participants, saying no foreign powers would be involved.

While agreeing to the dialogue, al-Burhan also rejected peace that would return the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and its supporters to power.

Peace begins with the RSF laying down its weapons, otherwise the army will continue its operations against it, he warned.

In a statement on Sunday, the gatherers in Addis Ababa said that any political process run from areas controlled by one of the warring parties, and under its protection, seeks to grant political legitimacy to military rule and empower members of the ousted regime

The talks in Ethiopia included that Nairobi Declaration forces of the Somoud civilian alliance, led by former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, Arab Socialist Baath Party, Sudan Liberation Movement faction, led by Abdul Wahid al-Nur, National Umma Party, led by Mubarak al-Fadil, and other independent national figures and civilian and youth organizations.

The gatherers agreed on a document that stresses the importance of humanitarian efforts, a ceasefire and political process, which should be based on negotiations under independent parties.

These parties must include civilian and political forces that are opposed to the war and the parties that are allied with the army and RSF.

They agreed that the role of the two warring parties should be limited to the humanitarian and security tracks, excluding the political one, and that the “National Congress” party and its front, the Islamic Movement”, must be completely barred from the peace process.

They considered the roadmap proposed in August 2025 by the Quad nations – Saudi Arabia, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt - to be the best reference for the peace process.

They agreed to form a joint committee to develop understandings and coordinate positions among anti-war factions.

Arab World

‘Eagles of Civilization’ Gives Momentum to Egypt-China Military Ties

Part of the "Eagles of Civilization 2025" exercise (Military Spokesperson)
Part of the "Eagles of Civilization 2025" exercise (Military Spokesperson)
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‘Eagles of Civilization’ Gives Momentum to Egypt-China Military Ties

Part of the "Eagles of Civilization 2025" exercise (Military Spokesperson)
Part of the "Eagles of Civilization 2025" exercise (Military Spokesperson)

Egyptian-Chinese military relations are entering a new phase of cooperation with the launch of the joint air combat maneuvers “Eagles of Civilization 2026,” amid ongoing regional tensions.

The drills are the second of their kind between Egypt and China in two years and represent a new boost to military ties between the two countries, according to an Egyptian military and strategic expert who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat.

He believes the cooperation could later expand into broader military collaboration as part of Cairo’s efforts to diversify its sources of military production.

On Saturday, the Egyptian military announced in a statement the start of “Eagles of Civilization 2026,” involving a number of multi-role fighter aircraft of various types.

The statement noted that the drills are being conducted over several days at several air bases across Egypt as part of the second edition of the exercise between the two countries.

The initial phases include a series of theoretical and practical lectures aimed at harmonizing combat concepts between the two sides, in addition to joint air sorties and training on planning and managing combined air operations.

According to the Egyptian statement, the exercises aim to exchange expertise and enhance the skills of participating forces within the framework of Egypt’s joint training program with allied and friendly nations. The goal is to strengthen cooperation across various military fields.

On August 14, Senior Colonel Chen Xi, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense (MND), stated during a press conference that the exercises would conclude in early September.

He noted that this is the second joint training program between the air forces of the two countries.

According to Xi, “the training will focus on such subjects as air combat tactics, air superiority operations, and combat search and rescue, and will include force employment drills.”

"As the second iteration of its kind, the joint training will further enhance mutual trust and traditional friendship, deepen substantive cooperation between the Chinese and Egyptian militaries, and contribute to regional peace and stability," stressed the spokesperson.

The first edition, “Eagles of Civilization 2025,” was held in April 2025 at an Egyptian air base and involved various types of multi-role fighter aircraft.

Fighter jets from the "Eagles of Civilization 2025" exercise (Military Spokesperson)

Boost to Military Relations

Military and strategic expert Major General Samir Farag told Asharq Al-Awsat that the exercise directly contributes to strengthening military relations between Egypt and China.

He said the second edition reflects the success of the first exercise, stressing that the deployment of Chinese aircraft to Egypt for joint training demonstrates that Beijing is deriving significant benefits from the cooperation.

“Egypt is known for the diversity of its partnerships and is among the countries that conduct the largest number of joint military exercises. We benefit from them, and so do our partners,” Farag added.

Expanding Cooperation

Egyptian-Chinese military cooperation has previously been a source of concern for Israel. In February 2025, Israeli media reported serious concerns among Israeli security agencies regarding the possibility of Egypt acquiring Chinese J-10C fighter jets equipped with long-range air-to-air missiles.

Israeli sources said at the time that the main concern was not the fighter aircraft itself but rather the long-range Chinese air-to-air missile, a capability the Egyptian Air Force had not previously possessed. Such missiles, they argued, could enable Egyptian aircraft to engage Israeli aircraft even before they entered visual range.

This was followed by a report in The National Interest magazine in December, stating that Egypt had turned to China to develop an advanced fleet of drones as part of efforts to counter what it described as Israel’s aggressive actions along Egypt’s eastern border.

Addressing speculation that the current maneuvers are linked to specific arms deals, Farag said that discussions about the purchase of J-10 fighters or other weapon systems fall outside the scope of the drills. “The exercise has nothing to do with that issue,” he stressed.

He added that Egyptian-Chinese military relations are moving toward broader partnership, particularly given existing cooperation in the field of drones that are being manufactured locally in Egypt. He noted that further military collaboration is likely in both joint training and defense-industrial production.

Arab World

Israeli Military Operations Paving Way for Battle in South Lebanon

Smoke rises as Israeli forces demolish homes in Zawtar al-Sharqiyeh, southern Lebanon, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026. (AP)
Smoke rises as Israeli forces demolish homes in Zawtar al-Sharqiyeh, southern Lebanon, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026. (AP)
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Israeli Military Operations Paving Way for Battle in South Lebanon

Smoke rises as Israeli forces demolish homes in Zawtar al-Sharqiyeh, southern Lebanon, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026. (AP)
Smoke rises as Israeli forces demolish homes in Zawtar al-Sharqiyeh, southern Lebanon, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026. (AP)

Israeli incursions and raids on southern Lebanon are paving the way for a military battle as the army has been striking heights overlooking villages and towns it is occupying. Israel has also been targeting roads and routes that run deeper into Lebanese territory, notably around Bint Jbeil city, security sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.

The operations and raids are focusing on the Ali al-Taher heights in the eastern sector that Israel has been trying to capture for ten weeks. In the central sector, it has been focusing on routes leading to Bint Jbeil and, closer to the coast, it has been carrying out similar incursions and detonations in the towns of Majdal Zoun and al-Mansouri.

The security sources said the operations appear to be paving the way for a military battle. The attacks are targeting all the hills surrounding Ali al-Taher, especially the al-Dabsha and al-Tahra that were occupied by Israel before it withdrew from the South in 2000.

The sources explained that focusing attacks on the hills and destroying houses around Ali al-Taher means that the troops are trying to isolate the entire strategic area from its surroundings.

For the past week, Israeli raids struck under-constructions houses and villas in the Dawhet Kfar Rumman and Nabatieh al-Fawqa areas, located north and southwest of Ali al-Taher respectively. It also continued to blow up houses in Kfar Tebnint that is located directly west of Ali al-Taher.

Israel has also struck Ali al-Taher itself with artillery and phosphorous bombs.

Lebanese media on Sunday said Israel used artillery to hit Mayfadoun and airstrikes hit Nabatieh al-Fawqa and Dawhet Kfar Rumman.

In the central sector, Israeli troops carried out incursions into four unoccupied towns: Beit Yahoun, Baraachit, Hadatha and Aita al-Jabal, all of which lead to Bint Jbeil, which is occupied by Israel.

The sources said a potential military battle in the future will not be limited to Ali al-Taher, but encompass the central sector.

The incursions are covering an area stretching some five kilometers from Baraachit to Hadatha in an attempt to create a buffer zone close to Ali al-Taher and capture areas that overlooking nearby valleys.