Turkey attacks PKK in Northern Iraq again

Turkish military aircraft hit [Kurdistan Workers' Party] PKK targets in Northern Iraq again, ignoring protests from Baghdad which says Ankara's repeated airstrikes violate Iraqi sovereignty and endanger civilians.

Turkish Defense Ministry said on Sunday that the country’s military “neutralized” 10 PKK militants in airstrikes carried out in Northern Iraq, Middle East News reported.

In a Twitter post, the ministry of defense announced that the air raids were carried out in Gara and Hakurk regions on Saturday and Sunday.

It comes after the Iraqi Foreign Ministry summoned the Turkish ambassador to Baghdad over Ankara’s latest airstrikes against Kurdish militants in Northern Iraq. But Turkey stated that it will continue its attacks on the militant group despite Baghdad’s protest at repeated violations of its airspace.

Baghdad announced on Friday that the Turkish military’s Thursday airstrikes were unacceptable “on all levels” and violated its sovereignty and the security of its citizens.

“The ministry denounces the actions of Turkish aircraft that violate Iraqi airspace and target several sites... in Northern Iraq, which caused loss of life and property,” it said in a statement.

On Saturday, Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hami Aksoy announced that the operations against the militants “will continue as long as terror organizations nest on Iraqi soil and as long as Turkey’s security needs require it to”.

EA