3 yıl önce

Four Turkish soldiers killed in Iraq: ministry

At least four Turkish soldiers have been killed in in northern Iraq where they routinely conduct operations against PKK bases in rugged mountains.

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A photo posted by the Turkish National Defence Ministry's Twitter account shows soldiers in northern Iraq during Operation Claw-2 on July 14, 2019.

At least four Turkish soldiers were in two separate incidents in northern Iraq where they were battling terrorists, the Defence Ministry has said.

Three soldiers died and two were injured when an improvised explosive device went off in an area where Turkish forces have been conducting an operation against the PKK terror group, the ministry said.

Another soldier was killed and one wounded in a shootout near a Turkish military base, it said.

Turkish forces routinely conduct operations against PKK bases in rugged mountains in northern Iraq.

The group is listed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey and its Western allies.

Turkish troops have maintained a network of bases in Iraq since the mid-1990s.

In the PKK's 30-year terror campaign against the Turkish state, more than 40,000 people, including children, have been killed. Turkey, the US and the EU recognise the PKK as a terrorist organisation.