Turkey’s defense ministry announced on Thursday that a series of attacks carried out by Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq resulted in the deaths of at least six Turkish soldiers. In response, the Turkish military launched retaliatory airstrikes, killing four members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). These recent incidents further exacerbate the ongoing conflict between Turkey and Turkish-backed groups on one side, and Kurdish fighters in Iraq and Syria on the other.
Turkey considers the PKK, as well as Kurdish groups in Syria and Iraq, to be terrorist organizations. The Turkish government claims that PKK members frequently seek refuge in northern Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region. As of now, there has been no official comment from Iraq’s central government in Baghdad regarding these attacks.
In related news, Syrian President Assad accused Turkey of fueling violence and called for the withdrawal of Turkish forces. The situation is captured in an image depicting Turkish army vehicles departing from the border crossing between Turkey and Iraq.
Earlier reports from authorities in northern Iraq’s Kurdish region stated that two separate Turkish drone strikes on Wednesday targeted PKK vehicles in Iraq’s Sulaymaniyah province, resulting in the deaths of two insurgents and the injury of four others.
Turkey has a military presence in the border region of Iraq and frequently targets what it claims are PKK positions. Last year, Turkey initiated an operation called Claw-Lock, involving ground and air forces, to counter the PKK in northern Iraq.
Iraqi security officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, revealed that the airstrikes on Thursday targeted positions north of the city of Duhok. Turkish Colonel Zeki Akturk affirmed that Turkey would avenge the deaths of their soldiers, stating that they will continue to fight against terrorism until every last terrorist is eradicated.
The PKK has been engaged in insurgency activities within Turkey since 1984, resulting in the loss of tens of thousands of lives.
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