Soldier succumbs to injuries following clash with PKK in Iraq's Kurdistan region

 Photo: MA

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A contracted infantry soldier who was wounded in a clash on June 15, has lost his life while undergoing treatment at the hospital, according to an announcement by the Ministry of National Defense.

Private Özcan Kaya was wounded during the ongoing "Operation Claw-Lightning" conducted by Turkey in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) territory in Iraq.

Defense Minister Yaşar Güler expressed his condolences and shared a message of sympathy for the 25-year-old soldier.

Kaya's funeral is scheduled to take place tomorrow in the village of Öksüz, located in the Banaz district of Uşak.

The "Operation Claw-Lightning" was launched on April 17, 2022, as part of a series of operations dubbed as the "Claw Operations," which have been going on since May 2019. The operations target the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is largely based in the Qandil Mountains in Kurdistan. Since the start of the operations, clashes between Turkey's army and the PKK have largely shifted to Iraqi territory, rather than taking place within Turkey. (NT/VK)