Turkey's intelligence agency announced that its operatives have killed a senior member of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), who was responsible for operations in Iran. According to Turkey's state radio and television, the individual named Saleh Aqbiq, also known by the alias 'Nozhiyan Amad', was killed in northern Iraq. Security sources indicate that Aqbiq, who has been active in the PKK since 1993, was targeted on Saturday, September 8, in the city of Sulaymaniyah in Iraqi Kurdistan. Turkish media also reported her membership in the Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK). PJAK, the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, and Komala are three major Iranian Kurdish groups based in Iraq, with which the Islamic Republic has military conflicts. Earlier this year, Turkish media reported that Barzan Hassan-Zadeh, head of the Iranian youth branch of the PKK, was assassinated in the Qandil region of Iraq. The Qandil mountainous area in northeastern Iraqi Kurdistan is near the Iran-Turkey border. In recent years, the Turkish army has repeatedly targeted locations in Iraq and Syria, claiming they are positions of the PKK and affiliated groups. Recently, the Turkish army has concentrated a significant force near the border with Iraqi Kurdistan and threatened to potentially attack PKK forces inside Iraq. Two years ago, a commander of the PJAK group named Youssef Mahmoud Rabani was killed in Syria 'with the cooperation of Iranian and Turkish intelligence agencies.'
PKK Operations Chief in Iran Killed in Northern Iraq
Saleh Aqbiq, a senior PKK operative responsible for operations in Iran, was killed in northern Iraq by Turkish intelligence. This incident highlights ongoing tensions between Turkey, Iran, and Kurdish groups in the region. It underscores the active military operations and intelligence collaborations between Turkey and Iran against Kurdish militants.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Turkey's intelligence agency announced the killing of Saleh Aqbiq, a senior PKK operative responsible for operations in Iran, in northern Iraq. This operation highlights Turkey's ongoing military efforts against Kurdish militants in the region.
- Saleh Aqbiq was active in the PKK since 1993 and was targeted in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq.
- This incident follows a pattern of targeted operations by Turkey against Kurdish militants in Iraq and Syria.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The PKK has been engaged in an armed struggle against Turkey for decades, while Iranian Kurdish groups like PJAK challenge the Iranian government. The region is marked by complex ethnic and political dynamics.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%