|
Turkish planes bomb Iraqi Kurdistan in
hunt for PKK
17.12.2007
|
|
|
|
Kurdish woman killed in Turkish air strikes in Iraqi
Kurdistan, Turkey launches biggest bombing raid on
Turkey's Kurdish PKK rebels in Iraqi Kurdistan
region, strikes killed civilians.
December
17, 2007
SULAIMANIYAH, Kurdistan region 'Iraq', --
Turkish planes bombed suspected rebel bases in
Kurdistan region 'northern Iraq' on Sunday, killing
one woman, damaging infrastructure and forcing
villagers to flee, local officials said.
Turkey's general staff said its warplanes had hit
the "regions of Zap, Hakurk and Avasin as well as
the Qandil mountains" -- known to harbour rear bases
of the Turkey's rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
The Turkish military said the bombardment began at
1:00 am (2300 GMT Saturday) and all its aircraft had
returned safely to base by 4:15 am (0215 GMT
Sunday). Artillery continued to pound the targets
once the planes left.
The raids, which Turkey's armed forces' chief said
were carried out with US approval and intelligence,
were condemned by the Iraqi government,www.ekurd.net
which called in the
Turkish ambassador to explain his country's actions.
"This attack has destroyed hospitals, schools and
bridges. We demand that Turkish authorities stop
such actions against innocents," deputy foreign
minister Mahmoud al-Hajj Humoud said in a statement
late Sunday.
Turkey's army chief General Yasar Buyukanit said the
air strikes had been carried out with Washington's
approval and using US military intelligence, the
Anatolia news agency reported.
"The United States gave intelligence," General
Buyukanit was quoted as telling the private
television channel Kanal D.
"But what is more important is that the United
States last night opened northern Iraqi airspace to
us. By doing that, the United States approved the
operation," Buyukanit said. |
A Kurdish villager looks through a rubble at the
Qlatooka village near Iraq's Kurdistan border with
Turkey on Sunday, Dec. 16, 2007. Turkish war planes
bombed Kurdish rebel targets as far as 100
kilometers (60 miles) inside northern Iraq for three
hours early Sunday, in the largest aerial attack
against the outlawed separatist group in recent
years. An Iraqi official said the planes attacked
several villages, killing one woman.AP
50 fighter jets were involved in the airstrikes on
Iraqi Kurdistan, private NTV television and other
media reported |
"The PKK should watch its step. It should not forget
that, for us, its camps and movement in northern
Iraq are like a 'Big Brother' show," the general
said, referring to the popular reality TV show.
US President George W. Bush last month said
Washington would provide Ankara with "real-time"
information on rebel movements from its satellites.
In Ankara, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan hailed a "successful" operation.
"Last night, the Turkish armed forces carried out a
comprehensive air strike against targets of the
terrorist organisation in northern Iraq," he said in
a televised speech.
"I am satisfied to say that, according to our
preliminary evaluations, the operation, undertaken
under night conditions, was successful."
The air strikes killed a woman and seriously wounded
five other civilians but inflicted no losses on the
PKK, the pro-Kurdish Firat news agency reported from
Iraq.
"A woman was martyred and five people were heavily
wounded" in the village of Leejuwa near the Qandil
mountains, Democratic Communities of Kurdistan (KCK)
spokesman Ferman Garzan was quoted as saying on its
Internet site.
The KCK is an umbrella organisation bringing
together the PKK and affiliate groups.
The village was badly damaged in the bombing and two
school buildings were destroyed, Garzan said.
"There are no losses on the guerrilla side," he
added.
The Iraqi Kurdistan forces (Peshmerga) that provides
security in Kurdistan region 'northern Iraq' said
that according to preliminary reports, eight Turkish
warplanes bombed villages along the border near the
Qandil mountains.
"Some families are fleeing from the villages
attacked today. We have dispatched our border teams
to check the casualties and damage," said a
spokesman, Jabbar Yawar.
AP reported that as many as 50 fighter jets were
involved in the airstrikes,www.ekurd.net
private NTV television
and other media reported. Turkey has recently
attacked the area with ground-based artillery and
helicopters and there have been some unconfirmed
reports of airstrikes by warplanes.
Jamal Abdullah, a spokesman for the regional
government of Iraqi Kurdistan, told AP Television
News: "We call on the Turkish army to differentiate
between the PKK and the ordinary people. We don't
want the conflict between the Turkish troops and the
PKK to turn into a conflict between the Turkish
forces and the people of Kurdistan."
Abdullah Ibrahim, a senior official in the Iraqi
administrative center of Sangasar, said Turkish
warplanes bombarded 10 Kurdish villages, killing one
woman and injuring two others. He acknowledged that
there were Kurdish rebel bases in the area, but said
they were far from the villages that were hit.
"The villagers are now scared and are hiding in
nearby caves. They lost all their properties,"
Ibrahim said.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan denied any
civilian areas had been hit.
"You should trust statements made by the Turkish
armed forces," he said in televised remarks.
The PKK, which has waged a deadly insurgency in
southeastern Turkey since 1984, said the strikes
lasted eight hours.
"An air strike by scores of warplanes and artillery
attacks took place against PKK positions," the group
said on its Internet site, adding that the raid
followed a month of reconnaissance flights by US
planes.
The air strikes were at least the second Turkish
operation against the PKK inside Iraq this month.
Turkish helicopters pounded suspected rebel bases on
December 1.
Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek warned Turkey
would launch more cross-border strikes if necessary.
"The government, working in harmony with all state
institutions, primarily the armed forces, is
determined to take this scourge off the country's
agenda," the Anatolia news agency quoted him as
saying.
The Turkish parliament authorised cross-border
operations in October, but Ankara has so far held
back from any ground assault amid strong lobbying by
Washington.
AFP | AP
Top |
Kurd Net
does not take credit for and is not responsible for the content of news
information on this page
|
® 