PKK Shoots Assyrian Paraglider in North Iraq

Wisam Nona, an Assyrian paraglider in the Kurdistan Region, was shot by Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighters on May 20, 2016. ( Kurdistan24) On Friday, a Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighter shot an Assyrian paraglider for accidentally paragliding in a village that PKK claim is their "military area." Wisam Nona is a Christian from Amedi city, Duhok Province. He has been paragliding in the Kurdistan Region mountains for seven years. Nona was shot by a PKK fighter in Sargali village near Amedi. "Nona's health condition was very bad because he was shot three times, injuring his chest, belly and hand," The General Director of Health in Duhok, Dr. Nizar Ismat, told Kurdistan24 on Monday. Ismat stated that Nona lost a lot of blood, and his liver was severely wounded when he was brought to the hospital on Friday. "It was good that Nona was brought to the hospital immediately," Ismat said. "Doctors have provided necessary medical treatment for him, and we hope his condition will improve." Nona explained the story of the incident to Kurdistan24 and stated that the PKK fighter shot him after insulting and beating him first. "I was paragliding from the sky in Amedi area near Sargali village, and I didn't know that PKK fighters were there," Nona explained. "One of the fighters came to me and asked me for identification and I told them that I was a paraglider." "Why did you paraglide here, don't you know it is a military location?" The fighter had asked, according to Nona. "How should I know it is a military area? It is a village, how come it became a military location," Nona responded. He also mentioned that the fighter started to damage the parachute, but when Nona tried to defend himself, that is when the fighter started to shoot him. "I was shot by three bullets but I don't know what kind of weapon they used. I was laying injured on the ground for 30 minutes," Nona stated. Most of Nona's family live in Canada, but because of his love for the homeland, he stayed in the Kurdistan Region. He often participates in the Peshmerga's fight against the Islamic State (IS) as a volunteer. Turkish jets often patrol the Kurdistan Region borders and villages, aiming to target the PKK bases in the area. Kurdish villagers and residents continuously complain and ask PKK fighters to avoid their areas as villagers' lives fall at risk and their agricultural fields are damaged due to the airstrikes.

Reporting by Masoud Mohamed and Mewan Dolamari. Editing by Karzan Sulaivany.