Turkish airstrikes kill 17 Kurdish militants in Iraq

Ankara: Turkish forces have conducted airstrikes against targets of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in a cross-border operation in Iraq, killing 17, the country's Defence Ministry said on Monday.

The airstrikes were carried out as part of 'Operation Claw-Lock' zone in Iraq, said the Ministry, without specifying the time frame of the strikes.

Turkish security forces frequently conduct cross-border operations in Iraq, targeting PKK hideouts and bases that they allege are used to stage attacks against Turkey, Xinhua news agency reported.

Turkey launched Operation Claw-Lock in April 2022 to target PKK members in Iraq's Metina, Zap, and Avasin-Basyan regions near the Turkish border.

The PKK, designated a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union, has rebelled against the Turkish government for more than three decades.