Photo From Syria Shared as Turkish Armored Vehicle Targeted Northern Iraq

Misbar's Editorial Team

News

20th July 2022

Photo From Syria Shared as Turkish Armored Vehicle Targeted Northern Iraq

The photo was taken in northern Syria in October 2021 (Facebook).

The Claim

A photo depicts an armored Turkish vehicle that was recently targeted with an explosive device in northern Iraq.

News posted on

Emerging story

A photo circulating on social media across the MENA region purports to show a Turkish armored vehicle that was recently targeted with an explosive device in northern Iraq. The claim has been making the rounds in Arabic and Turkish.

PKK destekçileri bugün gerçekleşen Tahran'daki Astana görüşmesi sonrası Erdoğan'ın açıklamalarına çıldırmış, hepsi bu fotoğrafı paylaşıp Zap'ta Kirpi MRAP'in imha olduğunu ve 4 Türk askerini öldürdüklerini iddia ediyor.

Fotoğraf geçtiğimiz senelerden, İdlib'te EYP saldırısı. pic.twitter.com/QiANf6IlyT
— Barracuda (@BarracudaVol1) July 19, 2022

Misbar’s Analysis

Misbar found the circulating claim misleading. The photo is old and was not taken in Iraq. According to Syrian and Turkish media, the photo was taken on October 15, 2021, during an attack on a Turkish military convoy near Maarrat Misrin, north of Idlib.

A supporting image within the article body

2021 Idlib Attack on Turkish Convoy

On October 15, 2021, a Turkish military convoy was attacked in Maarrat Misrin, north of Idlib, killing two soldiers and injuring several others, according to Syrian media.

NEW - A #Turkey military convoy was just hit in an IED attack outside Marat Misrin, #Idlib.

The damage is significant -- and comes 24hrs after a purported Ansar Abu Bakr al-Siddiq operative was captured by #HTS-linked GSS security forces. pic.twitter.com/qfdArVgXp4
— Charles Lister (@Charles_Lister) October 15, 2021

Turkish Casualties in Iraq

The claim started circulating after Kurdish media reported that ten Turkish soldiers were killed and others were injured during clashes between Turkish and Kurdish forces in Matina, Zab, and Afshin-Basian in northern Iraq.

Meanwhile, the Turkish Ministry of Defense announced on its official Twitter on Tuesday, July 19, that Turkish security forces had "neutralized" seven PKK members in northern Iraq.

The Turkish Ministry stated that PKK members were killed in the Operation Claw-Lock, Claw-Tiger, and Claw-Lightning zones.

Terörle ve teröristle mücadelemiz artan bir şiddet ve tempoda kararlılıkla devam ediyor.

Kahraman Mehmetçik; Irak'ın kuzeyindeki Pençe-Kilit, Pençe-Kaplan ve Pençe-Şimşek operasyon bölgelerinde tespit ettiği 7 PKK’lı teröristi daha etkisiz hâle getirdi.#MSB pic.twitter.com/yQ5ysK6b8I
— T.C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) July 19, 2022

‘Operation Claw-Lock’

On April 18, 2022, Turkey announced the beginning of a military operation dubbed "Claw-Lock" against PKK militants in Matina, Zab, and Afshin-Basian in northern Iraq.