Turkish soldiers die in Kurd battle
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Thousands of Turkish soldiers fought Kurdish separatists yesterday in two large operations, military sources said, a day after Turkish warplanes launched air strikes on rebel targets in northern Iraq.
Two soldiers were killed in Bingol, southeast Turkey, in an operation involving 7,000 to 8,000 soldiers.
Further south in the provinces of Sirnak and Hakkari, which border Iraq, at least 15,000 soldiers were fighting Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) guerrillas, the sources said.
Turkey has stepped up operations against PKK inside Turkey and, since the end of a February land offensive against guerrillas based in northern Iraq, has launched a series of air strikes against PKK targets in the neighbouring country.
On Friday night and early Saturday the armed forces launched their second air operation on northern Iraq in a week, the biggest round of air strikes this year, according to military sources.
The strikes did not necessarily herald another land incursion like the February offensive, analysts said. That had prompted concern in Washington about further regional instability and was watched closely on financial markets.
"I don't think there will be a major land operation, maybe small 'hot pursuit' operations," said columnist and political analyst Professor Dogu Ergil. "That would be the last option ... they tried a land operation and it didn't prove too productive."
The February incursion, during which the army said it killed 240 guerrillas and lost 27 of its own men, lasted eight days in harsh winter conditions. The head of the armed forces said after the withdrawal that further land operations could follow.
Yesterday's deaths add to a toll of eight security personnel killed in the southeast in the last week alone, according to information from the General Staff.
The armed forces tend to step up operations in the spring when the snow melts, making it easier to move around the mountainous region. The General Staff says it targets guerrillas trying to cross back over the border into Turkey.
Before the ground operation in February, Turkey launched a series of air strikes on targets in northern Iraq in December.
Ankara blames the PKK for 40,000 deaths since 1984 when the group took up arms to try to establish an ethnic homeland in southeast Turkey. Like the United States and the European Union, it considers the group a terrorist organisation.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments