PKK kills a Turkish Soldiers in Iraqi Kurdistan, Ministry says

Shafaq News/ On Tuesday, the Turkish Ministry of Defense announced that a soldier was killed in clashes with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in Kurdistan Region.

Soldier Khalil Koç was severely injured earlier this month when an explosive device planted by the PKK blew up near him.

He died later in the hospital of his wounds. The Ministry said.

This is the second incident within days; yesterday, another Turkish soldier was killed when PKK fighters opened fire on the borders between Ankara and Iraqi Kurdistan.

Turkey regularly launches air strikes into northern Iraq, a region where it has repeatedly sent commandos to support its offensives.

In April 2022, Turkey launched an action called "Operation Claw Lock" to "prevent terror attacks" and ensure border security following an assessment that the PKK was planning a large-scale attack.

In 2020, Turkey launched operations Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle in the border regions of northern Iraq to "ensure the safety of the Turkish people and frontiers."

On the borders with Syria, Ankara also launched many operations against PKK, including Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018), and Peace Spring (2019.)

Earlier this week, the Turkish Defense Ministry said Turkish security forces "neutralized" at least 13 YPG/PKK terrorists in northern Syria near the Turkish borders.

Turkish authorities use the term "neutralize" to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.

The Turkish president on Monday hinted at a possible new cross-border operation to clear the PKK terrorist organization from its border with Syria.

The PKK took up arms against the Turkish state in 1984. More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict, which in the past was mainly focused on southeast Turkey.

PKK is designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union.