Turkey’s Defense Ministry reported on Thursday that five Turkish soldiers were killed in a clash with militants from the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in northern Iraq.
The clash occurred in the Zap region, where Turkey is conducting a cross-border operation called “Claw-Lock.”
Ankara states that the offensive aims to prevent the PKK from using Iraq as a base to launch attacks in Turkey.
A spokesperson for the Turkish defense ministry stated that the five soldiers were killed in the initial round of gunfire from PKK militants while conducting field search and inspection activities.
The spokesperson added that the PKK has significant fortifications in the rugged terrain of the area, but despite the attacks, the area will be “cleared of terrorists.”
Turkey, the United States, and the European Union classify the PKK, which has bases in northern Iraq, as a terrorist group.
The party has been armed in southeastern Turkey since 1984, resulting in a conflict that has led to the deaths of over 40,000 individuals.
The Turkish ministry also stated that as part of “Operation Claw-Lock,” which began in April 2022, a total of 586 militants have been “neutralized” so far.
It typically uses the term “neutralized” to mean killed.
