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The journey across the countryside from the town of Zakho to the village of Hirure would be idyllic in better times. Military checkpoints have recently mushroomed next to fortified Turkish bases that lurk from hilltops. Airstrikes ignited wildfires that scorched lush valleys. Tourists are long gone, and so are large segments of the local population.
Ankara launched ground and air offensives codenamed Claw-Lightning and Claw-Thunderbolt on April 23 to root out militants of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) along its border. Turkish forces have since stepped up attacks on the Kurdish insurgents, focusing their firepower and incursions on a strip of territory up to 30 kilometres inside Iraq.