ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - More than 100 Turkish troops entered Iraq's Mosul province on Thursday, reportedly with tanks and heavy weapons.
The Turkish troops are stationed in Zlekan and Bashik, towns in eastern Mosul province.
According to information obtained by Rudaw, 150 to 200 troops entered the province with 15 tanks, 8 small armors, 4 larger armors, 13 military vehicles, one ambulance, 7 lorries loaded with ammunition and bullets, and a water tanker.
Meanwhile, Ismat Rajab, an exiled Kurdistan Democratic Party official, confirmed to Rudaw Saturday that "before, there were Turkish advisers at the Bashik military base in Mosul, but now several other advisers with armed guards have been added."
When the Sunni volunteer group Hashd al-Wataniya was set up after the Islamic State took over Mosul, Turkish military advisers trained the forces based at the Bashik base.
Previously, Turkish military advisers have come to the Kurdistan region to arm the Peshmerga, and they opened Turkish bases in several areas of the Kurdistan region, including Soran and Bamerne in Erbil, as well as Raniya and Qalachwalan in Sulaimani.
