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20,000 Turkish troops near Iraq on search-and-destroy mission
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SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
ANKARA — The Turkish military has launched another major offensive
against the Kurdish insurgency near Iraq.
Turkish sources said the army has deployed more than 20,000 troops in an
operation against the Kurdish Workers Party near the borders with Iraq and
Syria. They said soldiers, backed by main battle tanks, armored personnel
carriers and helicopters, have targeted suspected PKK strongholds in the
mountains of southeastern Turkey.
The Hurriyet daily said on Monday that the operation was focused in the
regions of Judi and Jabar in the Sirnak province, Middle East Newsline reported. The newspaper said the
search-and-destroy operation sought to disrupt the flow of PKK fighters from
Iraq to Turkey.
Turkey's military has repeatedly threatened to invade Iraq to destroy
PKK bases in the Kandil mountains. At this point, there was no indication
that Turkish forces crossed the Iraqi border.
Officials said about 3,500 PKK fighters have crossed the Iraqi border
into Turkey. They said as many as 5,000 other Kurdish insurgents were
training in northern Iraq.
Turkish media reports said the military force also included Special
Operations forces and the Gendarmerie. So far, the military has not
announced any developments.
Copyright © 2007 East West
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