The incident occurred between two villages within the Amadiya district of Duhok Governorate on Saturday.
The Counter-Terrorism Service stated, "A Turkish drone targeted a Kurdistan Workers' Party vehicle at 17:30 today, Saturday." The airstrike killed a prominent leader and two of his companions.
The relationship between the PKK and the Turkish government has been strained and violent for decades. The PKK is a Kurdish militant organization fighting for Kurdish self-determination in Turkey. The PKK is considered a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, and Turkey.
The PKK was founded in 1978 and launched its armed insurgency against the Turkish state in 1984. The conflict has resulted in the deaths of over 40,000 people.
The Turkish government has responded to the PKK's insurgency with a heavy-handed approach. The government has carried out military operations against the PKK, imposed curfews on Kurdish towns, and displaced thousands of Kurds from their homes.