Turkish fighter jets bomb PKK positions north of Duhok
Shafaq News/ Turkish fighter jets carried out several airstrikes on Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) positions north of Duhok in the Kurdistan Region, a security source in the province reported on Sunday.
The source told Shafaq News Agency, “Turkish aircraft bombed three PKK positions in the Kara Mountain range in Al-Amadiya district, north of Duhok.”
“The extent of casualties or material losses has not yet been clarified,” he noted. “The area is experiencing ongoing activity from PKK elements.”
This week, Turkiye launched intense airstrikes on PKK in response to its recent assault, which targeted a sprawling industrial facility in Ankara, killing five and injuring 22. The Turkish operations are aimed at PKK positions in northern Iraq and Syria, regions where the PKK, deemed a terrorist organization by Ankara, has a significant presence.
Notably, the conflict between Turkiye and the PKK dates back to the early 1980s when the PKK, founded by Abdullah Ocalan, began advocating for an independent Kurdish state within Turkiye. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the conflict intensified, with the PKK engaging in guerrilla warfare and the Turkish military conducting large-scale operations against PKK bases, particularly in southeastern Turkiye and northern Iraq.
The early 2000s saw intermittent ceasefires and attempts at peace negotiations, including a notable peace process in 2013. However, this process collapsed in 2015, leading to renewed hostilities.