Turkey kills 5 PKK militants in northern Iraq
Turkish military vehicles on the border with the Kurdistan region of Iraq. Photo: North Press Agency
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Turkish army announced on Thursday it killed five militants belong to Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in northern Iraq, according to Sputnik news.
The Turkish Ministry of Defense mentioned in a statement that the Turkish armed forces are determined to dry sources of terrorism, according to Anadolu Agency.
The statement revealed that the Turkish army killed five PKK terrorists in northern Iraq, and explained that they were targeted in the two areas where operations Claw Lock and Claw Tiger are taking place.
Turkey launched the Operation Claw Lock on April 18 against the strongholds of PKK in Metina, Zap and Avashin-Basyan in northern Iraq.
The Operation Claw Lock comes after two other military operations named Claw Lightning and Claw Thunderbolt in 2021, and Claw Eagle and Claw Tiger in 2020.
Although Turkey and Iraq are two important trading partners, but these operations put pressure on the relations between Ankara and the central Iraqi government in Baghdad which accuses Turkey of violating its territorial integrity.
On the other hand, the PKK, Ankara and its western allies describe as a ‘terrorist group,’ has been staging a rebellion against Turkey since 1984, and is based in mountainous areas in northern Iraq.