Turkey targets ‘PKK bases in Iraq’

Up to 70 Kurdish separatist targets attacked by fighter jets, Turkish military says.

Turkish soldiers patrol border
Turkey has boosted the number of its soldiers on the Iraqi border to prevent PKK infiltration [AFP]
The raid claim came a day after Turkish army officers said they killed 10 PKK fighters in clashes in Bingol, a province in the country’s southeast.
 
The clashes occurred despite heavy winter conditions and snow, the officials said.
 

They said the Turkish soldiers had suffered no casualties.

 
Harsh climate
 
Violence tends to subside in winter months when fighters and army troops have difficulty operating in the harsh climate.
 

Ankara blames the PKK for the death of more than 40,000 people since 1984 when the group launched its armed struggle for an ethnic homeland in southeast Turkey.

 
Turkey has boosted the number of its soldiers on the Iraqi border to prevent PKK fighters crossing over to attack Turkish military and civilian targets.
 
In recent months the army has also bombed PKK targets several times in northern Iraq in cross-border operations.
Source: News Agencies