The Turkish defense minister pledged to fight Kurds in northern Iraq “until the last terrorist is neutralized”
The Turkish military operation in northern Iraq, which was launched on Sunday, has achieved all of its initial objectives, the country’s defense ministry said in a Monday morning update. Ankara targets Kurdish militants in Iraqi Kurdistan.
A large number have been reported as being killed by the military “terrorists”They are also responsible for destroying numerous sites they have been associated with. “As of now, all of the planned targets have been achieved,” Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said.
He stated that operation would continue “with determination until the last terrorist is neutralized,”However, no timeframe was given.
The official was monitoring the progress of the incursion alongside the country’s senior military leadership. Operation Claw-Lock in Turkey was initiated on Sunday evening.
According to Ankara’s Defense Ministry, Turkish forces destroyed shelters bunkers and caves as well ammunition depots. They also took down command posts that belonged to terrorists. The report stated that both artillery and commando units from Turkey participated in the operation. It also included multiple strikes by unmanned and manned aircraft. Turkey did not provide an initial assessment of casualties.
Turkish officials said the operation is targeting the forces of PKK, or the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, an ethnic Kurdish militant force that fought against Ankara for decades, as well as the Syrian Kurdish militia YPG. They are both considered terrorist groups in Turkey.
Over the past years, the Turkish military has been involved in a variety of cross-border operations against Kurdish troops in Syria and Iraq. According to the Turkish ministry, the latest operation was focused on three regions in Iraq: Metina and Zap. Ankara claims that its invasion of Iraqi Kurdistan under the UN Charter’s national self-defense clauses was legal.
“Our activities are carried out in a way that respects the territorial integrity and sovereign rights of friendly and brotherly Iraq,”The defense minister stated.
The official claimed his nation’s armed forces only targeted “terrorist forces”It did all it could to prevent any harm to civilians, religious and cultural sites and the environment.
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