Turkey launches new military offensive in northern Iraq

Joshua Askew
Euronews
Mon, 18 Apr 2022 11:11 UTC

Turkey has launched a new ground and air offensive against Kurdish militants in Iraq, Turkey's defence minister announced Monday. Turkish warplanes, artillery and troops attacked targets belonging to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq, ranging from camps to ammunition stores.

The military operation - named Operation Claw Lock - was part of a long-running Turkish campaign in Iraq and Syria against militants of the PKK and Syrian Kurdish YPG, which Ankara regards as terrorist groups.

Jets and artillery struck shelters, bunkers, caves, tunnels, ammunition depots and headquarters belonging to the PKK, said Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar in a video posted on the ministry's website early Monday. Turkish commandos - with the support of helicopters and drones - then crossed into the area by land or were flown in by helicopters.

Anadolu news agency quoted Akar as saying: "Our operation is continuing successfully as planned. The targets identified in the first phase have been captured." No information on casualties was given or how many troops and warplanes participated in the action.

Turkey has conducted numerous cross-border aerial and ground operations against the PKK over the past decades, with the latest offensive taking place in the regions of Metina, Zap and Avashin-Basyan.

Turkey claims the PKK bases in northern Iraq are used to stage attacks on Turkish soil and launched Monday's operation following an assessment that the PKK was planning a large-scale attack, the ministry added.

The PKK, which has also been designated a terrorist organisation by the US and the European Union, 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 in southeast Turkey. Akar commented:

"We are determined to save our noble nation from the terror misfortune that has plagued our country for 40 years. Our struggle will continue until the last terrorist is neutralised."

There was no immediate statement from the Kurdish group.

Comment: Turkey's military operation will be air and ground tactics:

The military offensive will include an extensive airstrike campaign using jets, helicopters, and drones, as well as a ground incursion by commando troops, according to the Turkish Defense ministry.

According to the minister, Turkish forces are only targeting "terrorists," and they are taking extra precautions to avoid civilian casualties and damage to cultural heritage.

The Turkish military operation in northern Iraq began 4 days ago, yet Ankara officially announced it on Monday.

Turkey intends to make this a fight to the finish "until the last terrorist is neutralized."

The Turkish military operation in northern Iraq has achieved all of its initial objectives, the country's defense ministry said in a Monday morning update, adding that the operation will continue "with determination until the last terrorist is neutralized," although no projected time frame for that was provided.

The Turkish military has conducted a number of cross-border campaigns against Kurdish forces in both Syria and Iraq over the years. The latest operation focused on the Iraqi regions of Metina, Zap, and Avasin-Basyan, according to the Turkish ministry. Ankara claimed its incursion into Iraqi Kurdistan was legitimate under the national self-defense clauses of the UN Charter.
"Our activities are carried out in a way that respects the territorial integrity and sovereign rights of friendly and brotherly Iraq."
The official claimed his nation's armed forces only targeted "terrorist forces" and did everything possible to avoid harm to civilians, cultural and religious sites, and the environment.