Turkey bombs ‘terrorist targets’ in Iraq and Syria

January 14, 2024

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was to hold a security meeting in Istanbul later on Saturday, said his communications director Fahrettin Altun…reports Asian Lite News

Turkey has bombed multiple locations allegedly linked to Kurdish groups in Syria and northern Iraq in retaliation for the deaths of nine Turkish soldiers in Iraq, the defence ministry said.

The raids on Saturday came one day after an attack on a Turkish military base in Iraq resulted in the soldiers’ deaths.

The ministry said the attacks targeted 29 locations – including “caves, bunkers, shelters and oil installations” belonging to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the People’s Protection Units (YPG), a Syrian Kurdish group which has been a central element in the United States-allied coalition against Daesh.

Turkey frequently carries out attacks against locations in Syria and Iraq that it suspects to be associated with the PKK. The Kurdish separatist group, which is banned in Turkey, is considered a “terror” organisation by Turkey, the European Union and the United States.

The defence ministry said fighter jets struck targets in Metina, Hakurk, Gara and Qandil in northern Iraq, but did not specify which areas in Syria. It said the aim was “to eliminate terrorist attacks against our people and security forces … and to ensure our border security”.

The statement said that “many” armed fighters were “neutralised” in the attacks, a term Turkey uses to refer to killed or captured fighters.

On Friday night, attackers attempted to infiltrate a military base in northern Iraq’s semiautonomous Kurdish region, killing five soldiers. Another four died later of critical injuries. The ministry said 15 fighters were also killed.

There was no immediate comment from the PKK, the government in Baghdad or the administration in the region.

Turkey launched Operation Claw-Lock in northern Iraq in April 2022, during which it established several bases in the Duhok governorate. Iraq has repeatedly protested against the presence of Turkish troops and called for their withdrawal.

“We will fight to the end against the PKK terrorist organisation within and outside our borders,” Turkey’s foreign minister Hakan Fidan posted on X.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was to hold a security meeting in Istanbul later on Saturday, said his communications director Fahrettin Altun.

Also on Saturday, 113 people were arrested for suspected links with the PKK in nationwide raids, interior minister Ali Yerlikaya said on X.

Three weeks ago, PKK-affiliated fighters tried to break into a Turkish base in northern Iraq, according to Turkish officials, killing six soldiers. The following day, six more Turkish soldiers were killed in clashes.

Turkey retaliated by launching attacks against sites that officials said were associated with the PKK in Iraq and Syria. Defence minister Yasar Guler said at the time that dozens of Kurdish fighters were killed in air strikes and land assaults.

More than 40,000 people have been killed since the start of the conflict between the PKK – which maintains bases in northern Iraq – and the Turkish state since 1984.

ALSO READ-Maldives President Picks China For State Visit After Turkey

Previous Story

Israel pounds Gaza on 99th day of war

Next Story

Samsung’s Enhanced AI Robot Makes Waves at CES 2024

Latest from -Top News

Sisi, MBZ cement ties

UAE and Egypt bolster ties through high-level talks in Abu Dhabi and a landmark cardiac care initiative delivering lifesaving treatment to rural

70,000 Gaza kids starve

WFP warned that any further escalation of conflict could paralyse relief operations altogether, deepening the plight of civilians—especially children, the elderly, and

Prayers on the Mount

The Day of Arafat, considered the pinnacle of the Hajj pilgrimage, witnessed a congregation of believers from around the world As the

EID MUBARAK!

UAE marks Eid Al Adha with housing support, children’s gifts, pardons, and cultural celebrations, reflecting a national spirit of compassion, unity, and

Don't Miss