Turkish forces killed as many as 79 Kurdish militants and lost seven soldiers of their own in the first two days of their largest incursion into Iraq in 11 years, the armed forces said today. Today's fighting killed 35 Kurdish militants and two Turkish soldiers, Turkey's military in Ankara said on its Web site. Turkey used artillery and helicopter gunships against the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, the Web site said. Ammunition depots, anti-aircraft weapons and gun positions were destroyed, it said. Shelters and caves were made unusable.
The U.S., the United Nations and Germany have called on Turkey to show restraint after troops pushed over the border into northern Iraq late on Feb. 21. Iraq's Kurdish-controlled northern region has remained relatively peaceful since the U.S.-led invasion five years ago. ``The target of the military operation is the PKK terrorist organization,'' Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said in Ankara today in televised comments. ``Turkey is a staunch defender of Iraq's territorial integrity and political unity.''
The Web site didn't say how long the military action would last. ``As of 5 p.m. today, fighting is continuing with groups of terrorists in four separate regions,'' it said.