Three soldiers were killed in clashes with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants in Iraq’s Kurdistan region, the Ministry of National Defense has confirmed.
The deceased soldiers were identified as Private Contracted Soldier Fevzi Kızıltaş, Infantry Staff Sergeant Necdet Çalış and Private Contracted Soldier Emrah Gündüz. Also, two soldiers sustained injuries.
Turkey's military presence in the region is part of its efforts to create a buffer zone along the border and prevent the infiltration of PKK members. to achieve this, the Turkish army has launched a series of military operations dubbed as “Claw operations” since May 2019.
The operations encompass the regions used by the PKK in the region such as Zap, Avashin, Metine, Hakurk and Haftanin.
While the PKK has waged an armed insurgency against Turkey for nearly four decades, the past few years have witnessed the conflict shifting from Turkish to Iraqi territory. (AS/VK)
