Turkey further breaches Iraq sovereignty, launches strikes on PKK

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
17 Sep 2023 00:22
2 Shares

Turkish forces target villages in Iraq's Dohuk province using attack helicopters and artillery.

A Turkish army helicopter flies behind a Turkish flag during a military parade marking the 93rd anniversary of Victory Day in Istanbul on August 30, 2015 (AFP)

Turkish airstrikes targeted on Saturday a number of regions in Dohuk province, located in northern Iraq, claiming they were targeting positions affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which Ankara designates as a "terrorist organization".

According to a security source, Turkish helicopters conducted aerial raids on areas within the Amadiya district, north of Dohuk province.

Providing further insight, the source told news outlets that areas falling within the same province were also subjected to shelling. Nevertheless, specific details regarding the losses incurred from this attack remain undisclosed.

This incident marks the third occurrence this week of Turkish attacks targeting these areas with the aim of striking elements associated with the PKK.

In an earlier statement today, the Turkish Ministry of Defense confirmed carrying out air raids in northern Iraq, resulting in the destruction of 31 targets, which included shelters believed to house senior members of the Kurdish group.

In a related development, Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported on Saturday that a Turkish military base in the Scientific Research area, situated to the east of Azaz in northern Syria, was targeted by rocket strikes.

The base falls under the command of the so-called "National Army" backed by Ankara and has been the center of repeated attacks recently.

According to our correspondent, the rockets targeting the base areas were launched from areas controlled by the US-backed Kurdish militants Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the northern Aleppo countryside.

On Friday, the "National Army" launched attacks on areas in the vicinity and outskirts of the villages of Samuqa, al-Madiouna, and Harbul, all of which lie within the areas under the control of the SDF in the northern Aleppo countryside.

These recent developments underscore the volatility of the situation in northern Syria and the ongoing struggle for control in that region.