Turkish jets bomb PKK hideouts

ANKARA

Two targets in northern Iraq have been ‘hit with efficiency,’ says General Staff. Hürriyet photo

Turkish jets have bombed outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) hideouts in northern Iraq, the Turkish General Staff said yesterday.

“After surveillance and target analysis in northern Iraq, Turkish Air Force jets hit with efficiency two terrorist targets (shelter and cave) in Zap and Hakurk regions at night on Feb. 11, 2012,” the General Staff statement said. The statement also said jets returned to their bases safely, without giving any details on possible casualties of the PKK militants.

The PKK claimed it had not sustained any casualties in the air strikes. “Turkish warplanes bombed the Zab and Khowakirk areas beginning at 9 p.m. on Saturday [Feb. 11] and lasted for a period of one hour,” a senior PKK member was quoted as saying by Agence France-Presse.

Doğan news agency said the air strikes caused damage to “farms and a number of villages” but no PKK or civilian casualties, the report said.

Turkey has stepped up air operations on PKK militants in northern Iraq over the past six months after an increase in PKK attacks on security forces inside Turkey.