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| Iraq |
| Turkey bombs Kurdish rebel targets in Iraq |
| 2010-05-20 |
| Turkish warplanes on Thursday bombed dozens of Kurdish rebel targets in neighbouring northern Iraq, in one of the biggest raids in recent years, media reports and the insurgents said. About 20 fighter jets took part in the operation that targeted positions of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in the Zap-Khakurk region of the Kurdish-held autonomous north of Iraq, the NTV news channel reported. Nearly 50 targets were hit in day-long missions carried out mainly on intelligence passed on by the United States, it said. The Anatolia news agency reported that the strikes were ordered after a group of PKK rebels were detected on their way towards the Turkish border from their mountainous hideouts in northern Iraq. NTV said the operation, the second this month, was believed to be a success although there was no immediate confirmation of possible losses to the rebels. The PKK confirmed there had been a number of airstrikes but gave few details. "Turkish warplanes bombed PKK positions... in the region of Khwar Korak" over a period of about one hour, rebel spokesman Ahmed Denis told AFP, without giving details of deaths or injuries. The pro-Kurdish Firat news agency said separately that Turkish aircraft carried out two raids near the village of Sideka, one in the early afternoon and the other at the end of the day, adding that there were no casualties. There was no immediate statement from the army on the raid. |
| Posted by:tipper |