Turkey launches air offensive targeting suspected PKK locations in northern Iraq
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Warplanes launched multiple strikes in northern Iraq and the Kurdistan Region to target the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), the Turkish Defense Ministry announced early Monday morning.
Dubbed Operation Claw-Eagle, the air campaign is being personally directed by Defense Minister Hulusi Akar. "Our planes are bringing the caves down on the terrorists' heads," the Turkish Defence Ministry said on Twitter.
Suspected PKK locations were targeted in Shingal in Nineveh province, and Makhmour, Qarachogh, Mount Qandil, Khuakurk, and Zap across the Kurdistan Region. Fires broke out across Shingal and other areas as a result of the airstrikes.
The airstrikes hit a total of 81 targets, including "shelters and caves" according to Turkey's Defence Ministry.
"The operation has been launched in order to ensure the security of the Turkish people and the country's borders by neutralizing the PKK and other terrorist organizations that have been stepping up harassment and attack attempts against the police and military bases," it added.
PKK-linked Firat News Agency claimed the strikes targeted a refugee camp and a hospital.
“The Turkish state has launched a wave of air raids in southern Kurdistan, northern Iraq tonight. The strikes targeted several positions in the regions of Qandil, Maxmur (Makhmour) and Shengal (Sinjar), including a refugee camp and hospital,” it said.
Makhmour camp hosts more than 12,000 Kurdish refugees who have fled persecution by the Turkish state, largely in the 1990s. The camp has a governing council and an armed force, the Makhmour Protection Units, established in 2014 when Islamic State (ISIS) militants attacked the area. The units are believed to have ties to the PKK.
Bedran Pirani, co-mayor of the Makhmour Camp Municipality, told Rudaw that strikes near the camp left several children unconscious, who were then rushed to hospital.
"The airstrikes lasted an hour from 12:10am to 01:10am. They were a large number of unmanned drones and jets hovering overhead," Pirani said.
"The airstrikes was just 50 to 100 meters east of the camp," he said, adding the strikes caused “massive” material damage to the camp surroundings.
The PKK released a statement on Monday, claiming that they suffered no losses in the airstrikes.
"Our forces do not have any activities in these areas," said the PKK, referring to Makhmour and Shingal, reported the ANF "They [attacks] will be responded in the most severe way."
Regarding the airstrikes in Zap, Avasin and Khuakurk, the PKK claimed that none of its fighters were killed there.
The PKK-affiliated Shingal Resistance Units (YPS) confirms that six of their positions were targeted by Turkish airstrikes, adding that four of their fighters were injured.
Ihsan Chalabani, mayor of Sidakan, northeast of Erbil, said airstrikes targeting Mount Bradost did not kill any civilians.
Reacting to multiple strikes against suspected PKK bases in Shingal, Yezidi activist and Nobel laureate Nadia Murad described her hometown "a war zone."
"Over 150 Yazidi families had just returned to their homes. When will [the Iraqi Government] and the international community apply some courage and political will to resolving security challenges in Sinjar?" Murad tweeted.
Sinune Mayor Naif Saedo confirmed to Rudaw that the strikes wounded at least three members of the Shingal Protection Units, a PKK-affiliated group operating in the area.
One Yezidi living near Mount Shingal told Rudaw the strikes terrified their children but did not result in any casualties.
"Thanks to God, the airstrikes have not caused any human losses among us," the man said.
Turkey regularly carries out airstrikes and ground operations against suspected PKK positions inside the Kurdistan Region.
The PKK is an armed group that fights for greater political rights for Kurds in Turkey.
The PKK and Turkey have fought for decades, leading to thousands of deaths, including civilians. The group is based in the Qandil Mountains along the Turkey-Iran border.
Civilians are routinely caught in the crossfire of the Turkey-PKK conflict.
Both Erbil and Baghdad have repeatedly called on Ankara to halt its attacks and have demanded the PKK withdraw from their territory.
Iraq's defence ministry released a statement on Monday condemning the airstrikes.
“We [Iraqi defense ministry] condemn the Turkish warplanes violation of Iraqi sovereignty that happened yesterday night by 18 Turkish jets targeting areas of Sinjar, Makhmour, Gwer, and Erbil, and they came 193 deep into Iraqi territories from the Turkish border,” Iraq's security media cell tweeted on Monday.
“We call on Turkey to halt these violations and avoid repeating them and respect the bilateral relations between the two countries,” it added.
Turkish ambassador to Baghdad Fatih Yildiz tweeted on Monday that the PKK must be "crushed."
“The PKK is a mutual enemy and we need to crush its head together,” he wrote.
Updated 2.27pm