ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Three people were killed on Thursday afternoon after their vehicle came under a suspected Turkish drone strike near the village of Basne, Sharbazher district, Sulaimani province, a day after another strike killed three others, a local official confirmed to The New Region.

The bodies of the deceased have been transferred to the Sulaimani morgue for forensic examinations, The New Region’s Zhiwar Abdulrahman reported, citing local authorities.

The identities of the victims are yet to be known, the reporter added. 

Thursday’s attack marks a third vehicle that has been targeted by suspected Turkish drones in the span of 13 days, killing a total of eight people who are believed to have been associated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

No side has claimed responsibility for Thursday’s attack as of the the time of of this report’s publication, but the region has in the past been a target of similar Turkish attacks, under the pretext of targeting elements belonging to the PKK.

In a similar drone strike on Wednesday, another three individuals were killed on a highway near the sub-district of Khalakan, Dukan town.

The latest drone attack claimed by Turkey on Sulaimani province was carried out on August 23 when they hit a vehicle, killing two people and wounding another individual who belonged to a PKK affiliated media outlet. 

Today's attack comes at a time that Turkey has increased its cross-border activities in the Kurdistan Region and neighboring Syria.

Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT), a human rights organization and conflict monitor has reported that in 2024 alone, Turkey has conducted over 800 attacks on northern Iraq, with civilians often bearing the brunt of the conflict.

In addition to its sporadic aerial attacks, Ankara has boots on the ground in parts of Iraq. The Turkish presidency in mid-August dismissed claims made by opposition parties in their country that they had allegedly agreed to withdraw their troops from Iraq in a meeting with Iraqi authorities in Ankara.

Iraq has over the past year entered into agreements with Turkey in banning the PKK in the country and dismantling political parties close to them.

The PKK is an armed group that has fought for increased Kurdish rights in Turkey for decades, the group, designated as a terrorist organization by Ankara, uses mountainous areas of the Kurdistan Region as shelter and often engages in direct armed conflict with Turkey.