Naseem Sadiq spoke to SBS Assyrian, detailing the scenes and events caused by the shelling of the tourist spot in the province of Duhok in the Kurdistan region. The Iraqi government is blaming the Turkish army for this attack however Turkey denies any involvement and has accused rebels of the Kurdish worker's party (PKK) as being behind the attack.
SBS Assyrian's correspondent says many Iraqi families affected were mainly Arabs from Mosul and Baghdad. They were enjoying the calm and mild weather of the region, away from the scorching summer heat further south of the area.
Mr Sadiq says, " As people were swimming and enjoying the cold, clear water river in the area; tragically, the clear water turned into a bloodbath due to the impact of the shelling".
A couple was in the area celebrating their honeymoon; they had been married only six days before this incident. Sadly the young husband was killed, leaving his bride of just six days bride a widow.
This criminal act targeting civilians sparked anger among Iraqis all across Iraq and around the world. Many people took to the streets protesting and started burning the Turkish flag in front of the Turkish embassy in Baghdad. There are also calls to ban all Turkish products in Iraq and as well as travel to Turkey.
