Turkish Jets Hit Kurdish Militant Strongholds in Iraq, Syria

EghtesadOnline: Turkish warplanes struck Kurdish militant positions in Iraq and Syria in an operation meant to disrupt their supply lines and prevent them from infiltrating Turkey.

News ID: ۷۴۱۱۶۱

25 April 2017

The airstrikes early Tuesday were Turkey’s first in Syria since it ended a land incursion against Kurdish militants and Islamic State there in March. The military said the attacks centered on Mount Sinjar in Iraq and Mount Karakoc in Syria, south of Turkey’s shared borders with both countries, according to Bloomberg.

The decision to hit positions held by the PKK across Turkey’s borders was made after a slew of attacks against military outposts near borders with Iraq and Syria, the military said. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had earlier singled out Mount Sinjar as a possible target, saying “terrorists” were trying to turn the area into a launchpad for attacks against Turkey.

On Sunday, Turkey’s air force commander said the military had “plans” for PKK rebels around Sinjar, vowing not to allow the area to become a new hub for the militant group,

Hurriyet newspaper reported.

The lira extended losses after news of the air operation and was trading 0.2 percent lower at 3.5789 per dollar at 8:46 a.m. in Istanbul.