Turkish warplanes resume bombing Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq
ISTANBUL. August 19. KAZINFORM Turkish warplanes bombed suspected Kurdish rebel targets in northern Iraq's rugged mountains for a second consecutive night Thursday after an ambush on a southeastern Turkey highway killed eight soldiers and a government-employed guard, the semi-official Anatolian News Agency reported.
In the second operation, F-16s took off Thursday night from Diyarbakir and bombed targets in northern Iraq, returning three hours later, the agency said, citing ministry sources.
Earlier Thursday, the military had said in a statement that Turkish artillery pounded more than 100 targets in the border region; Kazinform refers to CNN.
"Similar activities of the Turkish Armed Forces, both domestic and abroad, will continue with determination until the separatist terrorist organization that uses northern Iraq as a safe haven and an attack base against Turkey is eliminated," the military said.
The Kurdish Firat News agency, which is sympathetic to the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, confirmed Wednesday night's air and artillery attacks in the rugged mountains of northern Iraq, where the rebels have long operated.
Firat quoted an unnamed rebel commander saying that the air raid was expected.
"It wasn't a surprise for us. We had measures. Air raids happen almost every year. We are a 30-year guerrilla movement. Therefore, they didn't achieve any results from yesterday's attack," the rebel commander said.
Turkish war planes were once again spotted flying over the Qandil mountains of northern Iraq on Thursday, Firat reported.
Ankara said fighters from the PKK carried out Wednesday's deadly ambush.
Thursday, military helicopters carried the flag-draped coffins of the eight soldiers to a funeral ceremony in the eastern border city of Van.
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