The Turkish ministry of defense launched a new military operation against Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants in the northern part of Iraq. This was announced by Hulusi Akar, head of the ministry.
"Our <...> armed forces have launched the operation, dubbed "Operation Claw Lock," aimed to prevent terrorist attacks against our people and security forces from northern Iraq and ensure our security," Anadolu Agency quoted him as saying on Monday.
The minister added that the Turkish Air Force successfully struck shelters, bunkers, caves, tunnels, ammunition depots and the so-called PKK headquarters. According to the agency, special forces units are also involved in the operation.
"So far our operation is continuing successfully as planned. The goals set in the first phase have been achieved," Akar stressed.
At the same time, it is specified that the only goal of the Turkish military is the elimination of terrorists. Great care is being taken to guarantee that civilians, the environment, cultural and religious sites are not harmed.
Ankara considers the PKK a terrorist organization and a major threat to national security. The Turkish Armed Forces periodically carry out spot strikes in Iraq against sites where the organization has camps, hideouts, command posts and weapons caches. The military has been sanctioned for such cross-border operations by the Parliament which has been extending the relevant mandate for a year over the past years. Baghdad, in turn, condemns the actions of the Turkish military, calling them a violation of Iraqi sovereignty.
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Based on materials from TASS