Clashes between Turkish troops and Kurdish rebels in southeast Turkey intensified on Friday after Turkish planes bombed Kurdish rebel targets in northern Iraq. More than 10,000 soldiers, backed by helicopter gunships, clashed with the rebels near the Iraq border in Sirnak and Hakkari provinces, and troop reinforcements were sent in from regional military bases to help the offensive.
“Separatist terrorist organisation targets were hit by Turkish armed forces planes last night in northern Iraq, notably in the Qandil mountain and Hakurk region,” the Army said.
The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), the main rebel group in Turkey, has bases in northern Iraq from where it attacks Turkish troops and military installations. More than 70 soldiers have been killed this year in PKK attacks, more deaths than the military suffered in the whole of 2009. “The targets were hit successfully,” the Army said. —Reuters