IRBIL: Iraqi Kurdish authorities on Thursday said that ten fighters from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) have been killed in renewed air strikes by Turkiye on northern Iraq.
Turkiye has increased its cross-border air raids against Kurdish targets in Syria and northern Iraq following a suicide bombing in Ankara on October 1 which injured two policemen.
Ankara, Western allies consider PKK a terrorist group
The PKK claimed responsibility of the attack which is considered a terrorist group by Ankara and its Western allies.
The Kurdish counter-terrorism service in a statement said nine PKK fighters were killed in a series of air strikes by Turkish warplanes and drones in Irbil province in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region.
While another PKK member was killed and three others injured in the bombing of several targets belonging to the group in Dohuk province.
Turkiye’s defense ministry on Thursday said that it conducted air strikes on five targets in northern Iraq, adding many terrorists were neutralized.
It said of the strikes which were carried out on Wednesday during which 19 targets including caves, shelters and depots used by terrorists were successfully destroyed.
It is pertinent to mention that the Turkish military rarely comments on its actions in Iraq.
Earlier this month, Turkiye’s parliament authorized its military to launch cross-border operations in Syria and Iraq for two more years.
The series of events underscores the complex dynamics at play in the region, where various parties hold differing views on the activities and affiliations of Kurdish militant groups. The situation remains tense, highlighting the critical need for diplomacy and de-escalation efforts to ensure the safety of both civilian populations and military personnel.
