Turkish military forces using planes, helicopters and drones attacked Kurdish rebel positions inside northern Iraq, the Turkish Defense Ministry said Monday.

The targets included camps and ammunition depots in the regions of Metina, Zap, and Avashin-Basyan, the military said.

Kurdish rebels have launched attacks in Turkey from northern Iraq, and Ankara said they were planning another attack in Turkey.

The Associated Press reported 19 Kurdish rebels were killed and four Turkish military members were wounded.

“Our operation is continuing successfully as planned,” the state-owned Anadolu news agency quoted Defense Minister Hulusi Akar as saying. “The targets identified in the first phase have been captured.”

Turkish military forces have repeatedly attacked Kurdish groups such as the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, which Ankara considers terrorist organizations.

The PKK has been active since 1984. It has bases in southeastern Turkey and northern Iraq.

Kurdish people are spread throughout a region covering parts of Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran.

(Some information in this report comes from Reuters and The Associated Press.)

 
…