Turkey's military said on Wednesday its war planes had struck 152 Kurdish guerrilla targets in northern Iraq over the past month and that the air strikes would continue, despite opposition from Iraq's regional Kurdish government.
Residents hold Kurdish flags as they protest against Turkish shelling on northern Iraq, outside the Turkish consulate in Arbil Photo: REUTERS
Turkey has stepped up air and artillery operations on suspected Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) rebels in northern Iraq over the past months in retaliation for an increase in PKK attacks on Turkish security forces inside Turkey.
The raids have fuelled tensions between Turkey and the semi-autonomous Kurdish region in Iraq and have triggered protests in the capital Arbil and other towns. Iraqi Kurdish government officials have called for the issue to be resolved through diplomatic means.
"Since August 17, 2011, 58 air sorties have been carried out in northern Iraq against hideouts, control points and weapons depots belonging to the separatist terror organisation," Turkey's general staff said in a statement on its website.
After analysing aerial photographs of the target areas, it said, 152 targets had been hit.
"The activities of the separatist terror organisation in northern Iraq will be closely monitored and as targets are determined, air operations will continue," it said.
From KIFA-Greece
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