News | 25.02.2008 | 11:00 UTC /d.welle
Turkish step up offensive on PKK rebels
The Turkish military has been stepping up its offensive against Kurdish Workers' Party or PKK rebels in northern Iraq. Security sources say Turkish fighter jets and artillery have been pounding suspected rebel positions. Turkish media report that troops have been advancing on the PKK's headquarters near Iraq's border with Iran. The Turkish military said in a statement that clashes were ongoing in three regions and that 112 PKK fighters and 15 Turkish soldiers had been killed since the offensive began on Thursday. The PKK has rejected those figures. The Turkish government ordered its forces to launch the cross-border operation after accusing the Iraqi government of failing to prevent PKK fighters from using its territory to carry out attacks on Turkish soil.
The Turkish military has been stepping up its offensive against Kurdish Workers' Party or PKK rebels in northern Iraq. Security sources say Turkish fighter jets and artillery have been pounding suspected rebel positions. Turkish media report that troops have been advancing on the PKK's headquarters near Iraq's border with Iran. The Turkish military said in a statement that clashes were ongoing in three regions and that 112 PKK fighters and 15 Turkish soldiers had been killed since the offensive began on Thursday. The PKK has rejected those figures. The Turkish government ordered its forces to launch the cross-border operation after accusing the Iraqi government of failing to prevent PKK fighters from using its territory to carry out attacks on Turkish soil.
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