ERBIL — Nine Turkish soldiers have been killed in an armed confrontation with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in the Kurdistan Region, according to Turkey's military sources.
The Turkish Ministry of Defense in a statement on Friday announced that five of their soldiers were killed and eight others wounded in an attack by PKK fighters on their base.
The ministry later stated that four more soldiers were killed in the attack, bringing the death toll to nine.
After this PKK attack, Turkish forces bombed PKK bases in Zap, Matina, Khawkurk and Qandil. The Turkish ministry reported that 12 PKK fighters were 'neutralized'.
Turkish authorities use the term 'neutralize' to imply actions like killing or arresting in the context of the country's military operations against the PKK.
Since 2020, Turkey has initiated a series of significant operations in the Kurdistan Region, including Operation Claw Tiger, Operation Claw-Eagle, and the current Operation Claw-Lock, all aimed at targeting PKK positions.
The enduring decades-long conflict between Turkey and the PKK has had a profound impact on daily life in the Kurdistan Region, resulting in a significant toll on civilians, the displacement of villages, and the abandonment of mountain resorts and arable land.