Istanbul | Three Turkish soldiers were killed in clashes with fighters from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in northern Iraq, where Ankara is carrying out an operation against the militia, the Turkish defense ministry said Thursday.
The three soldiers were killed in fighting with the PKK on Wednesday in Dohuk province, the ministry said in a statement.
The Turkish army on Wednesday launched a series of operations against the PKK in northern Iraq, inaugurating a new phase in its “Tiger Claws” offensive launched in June against this Kurdish organization classified as “terrorist” by Ankara and its Western allies.
Turkey regularly carries out air raids against PKK rear bases in the mountainous areas of northern Iraq, where it has set up training camps and weapons caches. Special forces occasionally lead small incursions.
Turkish operations raise tensions with the Iraqi government, but Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan repeats over and over again that his country intends to “deal” with the PKK in northern Iraq if Baghdad is “not in a position” to do”.
In December, Mr. Erdogan called on Iraq to intensify the fight on its territory against the PKK by receiving Iraqi Prime Minister Moustafa al-Kazimi in Ankara.
Since 1984, the PKK has been delivering bloody guerrillas on Turkish soil which has left more than 40,000 dead.