|
Turkish artillery causes damage to Iraqi
Kurdistan villages
9.10.2007
|
|
|
|
October
9, 2007
Erbil-Hewler, Kurdistan region 'Iraq', --
Turkish artillery fired missiles inside Kurdistan
region 'northern Iraq', causing destruction to
villages and agricultural areas near the mountainous
Turkish-Iraqi border, witnesses said Monday.
The bombardment of the area known as Khowacork in
the autonomous Kurdish region had started Sunday
night and continued for over an hour. 'It was
intense,' said a local source.
'The shelling forced many inhabitants to leave their
homes and seek sanctuary in fortified caves in the
mountains,' the source added. No casualties were
reported.
In what has been called 'concern' over its own armed
Kurdish rebels from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)
who are still hiding out in Kurdistan 'northern
Iraq', Turkey has been launching offensives inside
Iraqi territory.
The Turkish military estimates the number of PKK
fighters at 3,000.
The military has for months called for a
cross-border operation between it and Iraqi
Kurdistan to destroy PKK bases, but so far the Iraqi
side has been refusing to give an express right to
Turkish troops to be allowed to cross the border in
hot pursuit of Kurdish rebels.
The two sides recently signed a security agreement
in which they promised to cooperate, but the nature
of this cooperation has not been disclosed.
Ankara is anxious to prevent the emergence of a
Kurdish state in Kurdistan region 'northern Iraq',
fearing this could fan separatism among its own
large Kurdish population in southeast Turkey. Turkey
is home to over 25 million ethnic Kurds.
Kurdish politician says, Turkey is using a Kurdish
separatist PKK rebel group as an excuse to invade
Kurdistan region 'Iraq' to prevent the establishment
of Kurdistan state in the Kurdish autonomous region
in 'northern Iraq'.
More than 37,000 people have been killed since the
early 1980s when the PKK launched its fight for
independence or autonomy for the mainly
Kurdish-populated south-east, according to Turkish
authorities.
The PKK is considered a terrorist organization by
both the United States and the European Union.
DPA
Top |
Kurd Net
does not take credit for and is not responsible for the content of news
information on this page
|
® 