Turkish Armed Forces intend to move 50-60 km deep into Iraqi territory in a new military operation against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), the Star newspaper wrote on Tuesday.
In addition, according to the newspaper, after the completion of basic tasks the Turkish military do not plan to leave the North of Iraq. They intend to deploy temporary bases there to control the territory until the threats finally disappear. The Turkish Armed Forces will liberate the territory of Iraq only after all the tasks to neutralize threats are accomplished. Temporary bases and control points will be deployed in the areas that extremists prefer to use for movement.
The Sabah newspaper, in turn, notes that the number of PKK fighters in the Kandil region, where the operation is carried out, was about 3,000 before it began. Moreover, the newspaper writes that the Iraqi Kurdistan Region leadership supports Turkey and prevents the PKK members to enter the territory of the autonomy.
On Monday, Minister of National Defense of Turkey, Hulusi Akar, said that so far, "56 terrorists have been neutralized during a special operation in the north of Iraq". Ankara considers PKK a terrorist organization and one of the main threats to the national security.
On the night of April 18, the Turkish Armed Forces launched a new military operation against the PKK members in the north of Iraq, involving the Air Force and Special Forces units. Turkish fighter jets carried out air strikes in the Iraqi regions of Metina, Zap and Avashin. Akar said the goals of the first phase of the operation had been achieved.
GSV "Russia - Islamic world"
Photo: Creative Commons
Based on materials from TASS