67 Killed in Turkish Airstrike on Kurdish Positions in Northern Iraq

The bombing of the positions of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq by the Turkish Air Force last week left 67 dead. As emphasized by the Turkish army in its statement on Saturday, this attack was the first of its kind in nearly a month. According to reports, these attacks were carried out last Wednesday by 14 F-16 and F-4 fighter jets, targeting PKK-controlled camps and ammunition depots. International news agencies have reported the details of this attack based on the Turkish army's statement that has been reflected in local media. In this context, Reuters reported that Turkish fighters targeted parts of the mountainous regions of Qandil, Metin, Owasin, Haftanin, and Basyan, where, according to the Turkish army, PKK forces were active. Turkey and its Western allies consider the PKK a terrorist group, and the Turkish attacks in northern Iraq aimed at striking forces affiliated with this group have been met with protests from Baghdad. AFP reported that the airstrikes on Wednesday were the first attacks against PKK bases since February 18. At that time, following a suicide bombing in Ankara that killed 29 people, the Turkish Air Force launched attacks against Kurdish positions in northern Iraq. Turkey had accused the 'Kurdistan Freedom Hawks,' a group linked to the PKK, of being involved in this suicide attack. Meanwhile, Reuters reported that in another incident, a bomb explosion targeting a Turkish police vehicle near the Iraqi border resulted in injuries to two special police forces. Official sources in Turkey stated that this explosion occurred on Friday in the Yuksekova region of Hakkari province, and PKK militants were involved. Reuters added that the ceasefire between PKK forces and the Turkish army ended in mid-summer this year, and since then, with an increase in attacks on Turkish security forces, a wave of violence has prevailed in the southern regions of the country, which are under Kurdish influence, resulting in the deaths of hundreds. In this context, the number of PKK casualties in the recent Turkish army operations reached '773,' with '70 members' of the PKK killed in recent battles with the Turkish army. Turkey withdrew some of its soldiers from a base in northern Iraq. Haider al-Abadi: Turkey should immediately withdraw its forces from northern Iraq.