ISTANBUL (Askume) – A Turkish soldier was killed in clashes with militants from the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in northern Iraq on Monday, the Turkish Defence Ministry said, adding that Turkish air strikes killed several militants.
The ministry said in a statement that the air strikes also destroyed 21 PKK targets, without elaborating.
Ankara used the word “neutral” in reference to the killing.
The Turkish Defence Ministry said the soldier was killed in clashes in the Gala region, where the Turkish Air Force attacked PKK positions in Gala, Hakuq, Medina and Kantil.
The PKK, designated a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, took up arms against the Turkish government in 1984.
Turkey has conducted cross-border military operations against militants for years, resulting in roughly half of the territory in Syria bordering Turkey and the entire territory in Iraq bordering Turkey being controlled or supervised by the Turkish military.
