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Turkey scrambles fighter jets to hit PKK targets in Iraq

Xinhua, July 27, 2015 Adjust font size:

Turkey scrambled several F-16 fighter jets on Sunday evening to hit Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) targets in northern Iraq, local Dogan News Agency reported.

The jets took off at around 20:30 local time (18:30 GMT) from the Diyarbakir air base in southeastern Turkey and the sound of bombing was heard in Hakkari province located at Turkey and Iraq border.

The attack is the latest in Ankara's move against PKK militants in Iraq.

Late Friday night, Turkey launched the first round of air strikes against camps of PKK in northern Iraq and targets of Islamic State (IS) group in Syria.

In a statement issued from the Office of Prime Ministry early Saturday, the operation targeted PKK camps, shelters, caves and logistics points located in the mountainous northern Iraq region.

It said the land forces simultaneously hit PKK and Daesh targets with artillery deployed near the Turkish border.

Turkey launched the retaliatory strikes after a wave of attacks in recent days against its security forces that have been blamed on PKK militants.

The PKK said on Saturday that there was no longer any cease-fire between the Turkish government and the PKK. "The conditions are no longer in place to observe a cease-fire, following the heaviest Turkish airstrikes on our positions in northern Iraq since 2011." Endit