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At least nine Iraqi tourists have been killed in the attack. Turkey denies the accusations and points the finger at the PKK. Iraq, for its part, demands that Ankara withdraw "its military forces" from the country

A diplomatic rift has opened up between Turkey and Iraq after a Turkish attack killed at least nine people, including children, in Zakho in the north of the country. Among the dead were several Iraqi tourists from cities such as Kerbala and the capital Baghdad itself, as the attack targeted a resort in the mountainous region of Iraqi Kurdistan.

"Turkish artillery fire in the tourist region of Parakh killed eight people and wounded 23," Mushir Bashir, head of the Zakho region, told a local radio station shortly after the attack. "Turkey attacked the town twice," Bashir told AFP.

Officials in Baghdad have also condemned the brutal Turkish attack. Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhemi warned that Iraq reserves the "right to retaliate" and will apply "all necessary measures to protect its citizens". "Turkish forces have once again perpetrated another flagrant violation of Iraqi sovereignty," Al-Kadhemi said in a statement. President Barham Saleh called the "Turkish bombardment" "a violation of the country's sovereignty and a threat to national security".

The powerful Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr - winner of the October elections - was among the first to denounce the attack, suggesting that Iraq suspend diplomatic relations with Ankara.

The Iraqi authorities have also demanded that Turkey officially apologise and withdraw "its military forces" from Iraqi territory and declared Thursday a day of national mourning for the victims of the attack. The Iraqi government has sent a delegation to the affected area headed by Foreign Minister Faud Hussein to investigate what happened.

The Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Executive has also coordinated with Baghdad to investigate the attack, Kurdish Prime Minister Masruour Barzani himself announced on Twitter. Barzani also condemned the Turkish aggression and the violence unleashed by "infighting between Turkey and the PKK". "This has happened too often and must stop," the Kurdish leader stressed.

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