Turkish Fighters Kill 24 PKK Militants in Airstrikes

Turkish fighter jets bombed the positions of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in southeastern Turkey and the Diyarbakir province on Thursday night, killing 24 Kurdish militants. Turkish army commanders stated that these militants were killed near the Turkish borders with Syria, Iraq, and Iran. According to the Turkish army, the Kurdish militants had previously detonated a bomb near a military base on the highway between Diyarbakir and Lice, resulting in the deaths of three Turkish soldiers and injuring 24 others. However, the PKK and Kurdish-language media reported that the number of Turkish military casualties was thirty. On Wednesday night, Turkish jets also targeted PKK positions, killing 26 militants. In recent months, Turkey has repeatedly bombed Kurdish positions in Diyarbakir province, resulting in numerous PKK casualties. Additionally, strict security regulations, including the imposition of martial law in Diyarbakir province, have led to widespread protests from local residents. The Turkish army claims that thousands of military personnel have been killed in southeastern Turkey since the escalation of hostilities. Meanwhile, due to intense fighting in Diyarbakir, many residents have been displaced, and numerous civilians have lost their lives. The PKK, which claims to fight for the autonomy of Kurds in Turkey, is listed as a terrorist organization by the European Union and Turkey. Over the thirty-two years of conflict between the Turkish central government and PKK members, more than forty thousand people have been killed. In this context, Turkey reported the deaths of dozens of PKK members, bringing the total number of PKK casualties in recent military operations to '773'. Turkish security officials stated that one of the suspects in the Ankara bombing was a PKK member. Reactions to the Istanbul explosion suggested a possible connection to either ISIS or the PKK.