Turkish Military: 160 Killed, 100 Others Wounded in Iraq Strikes

Statement Insists Attacks Will Continue

The latest official statement from the Turkish military claims that at least 160 people were killed in their air strikes against Northern Iraq, with more than 100 others wounded. The military said attacks included 21 air sorties and 38 targets hit with artillery fire.

The statement also insisted that the military will “continue to monitor activities” in Iraqi Kurdistan and will continue to launch strikes against rebels operating in the region until they are “rendered ineffective.”

The strikes began two weeks ago after Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) forces ambushed and killed eight Turkish soldiers and fled into neighboring Iraq. The strikes mostly targeted remote PKK outposts, but also hit at least one Kurdish village inside Iraq, killing civilians.

Though Turkey has been launching air strikes against Iraq for years, the Iraqi government seems less willing to put up with them now, and Iraq has officially protested against the recent air strikes.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.