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Turkish military says 150 PKK separatists killed in N. Iraq |
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Written by Hurriyet
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Sunday, 04 May 2008 |
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Turkey's General Staff said on Saturday at least 150 outlawed PKK separatists were killed during the May 1-2 air strikes against PKK bases in northern Iraq. The statement added several high-ranking outlawed PKK separatists may have been among the dead.
Turkish military says 150 PKK separatists killed in N. Iraq
"According to initial estimates, this operation allowed us to neutralise more than 150 terrorists," declared a statement published on the Turkish army website.
The statement added several high-ranking outlawed PKK separatists may have been among the dead.
"The operation caused a big panic among terror organization's members," the statement read.
The military said in an earlier statement, it successfully hit 43 outlawed PKK targets in a three-hour air operation on Mount Qandil in northern Iraq which ended early Friday.
Turkish warplanes have targeted terrorist positions in northern Iraq since mid-December. In February, the army conducted a week-long ground offensive against PKK hideouts in the region, where more than 2,000 militants take refuge.
The Turkish government has a one-year parliamentary authorization, which expires in October, for cross-border raids against the PKK. The United States has backed Turkish military action against the outlawed PKK separatists by providing real-time intelligence on PKK movements in Iraq.
The PKK is listed as a terrorist group by Turkey and much of the international community, including the EU and the US.
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