ANKARA: The Turkish Ministry of Defense has reported the deaths of 30 militants belonging to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) following a series of airstrikes conducted by Turkish warplanes in northern Iraq. The military operation targeted several mountainous regions where PKK militants were reportedly gathered.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the Turkish Defense Ministry issued a statement today confirming that Turkish military units identified PKK gatherings in the Hakuk, Kara, Qandil, and Sinjar areas of northern Iraq. The rugged terrain necessitated the deployment of warplanes, which struck the locations, resulting in the preliminary count of 30 militants killed and the withdrawal of others from the region.

The statement further detailed that Turkish warplanes executed the airstrikes on Thursday and Friday, successfully destroying 34 PKK sites. These actions were in retaliation for an attack on the Turkish Aerospace Industries Company “TUSAS” in Ankara last Wednesday. The ministry emphasized
that the PKK, which is banned in Turkey, maintains a stronghold in the Qandil Mountains and frequently launches attacks on Turkish soil from these positions. The Turkish military is actively working to eliminate what it describes as sources of terrorism.