The Turkish navy struck an space of northern Iraq as we speak, concentrating on Kurdistan Employees Social gathering (PKK) fighters.
Turkish jets bombed a mountain within the village of Balinda within the autonomous Kurdistan Area, the PKK-affiliated Rojnews reported.
Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency reported that one PKK fighter was killed within the strike. Rojnews didn’t report any casualties.
Why it issues: Turkey repeatedly conducts airstrikes on supposed PKK targets all through Iraq, together with in areas like Balinda which might be near the Turkish border. The Turkish navy additionally conducts floor operations and maintains a number of navy bases in Iraq.
In December, Turkey killed via drone strike the commander of a PKK-allied Yazidi militia in Sinjar in western Iraq. Days later, the PKK killed three Turkish troopers in a retaliatory assault. The constant Turkish strikes on Sinjar have stopped many Yazidis from returning residence to the realm.
At the moment’s airstrike scared schoolchildren in Balinda, who have been enjoying exterior on the time of the assault, the Kurdish information outlet Rudaw reported.
The PKK fights for better rights for Turkey’s Kurdish inhabitants. Turkey in addition to america and the European Union think about the PKK a terrorist group. Greater than 5,000 individuals have been killed within the Turkey-PKK battle since peace talks broke down in 2015. The casualties embrace civilians, Turkish troopers and PKK fighters, in accordance with the Worldwide Disaster Group.
What’s subsequent: Turkey started Operation Pence-Kaplan in opposition to the PKK presence in Iraq in 2020, and the mission is continuous. Turkey’s actions in opposition to the PKK have been concentrated in northern Iraq thus far this 12 months, with much less frequent assaults elsewhere in Iraq and in opposition to Kurdish groups in Syria, per the Worldwide Disaster Group.
