Turkish forces push 20 km into Iraq's Kurdistan region

BAGHDAD, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Turkish forces pushed some 20 km into the mountainous border area in the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan in northern Iraq, Kurdish media said on Saturday.

"The Turkish forces backed by artillery and airstrikes entered about 20 km into the territory of Kurdistan and established military bases in the border areas of the Kurdistan region," said a statement released on the official website of Iraqi President Fuad Masoum's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).

"During the past few days, Turkish warplanes and artillery bombarded villages and border areas in the region of Bradust, which resulted in displacement of a large number of people from those villages and border areas," the Kurdish website said.

According to the Kurdish Rudaw news, "the Turkish forces bombarded the areas of Rubia, Bunkistan, Bir Ibrahimi, Korate and Rupi at about 1:45 p.m. (1045 GMT)."

"These areas are populated and the Turkish bombardment resulted in the displacement of more civilians," Rudaw quoted Ihsan Chalabi, mayor of Iraqi border town of Sidakan, as saying.

"During the past 72 hours, the Turkish aircraft attacked Bradust region for nine times, while the Turkish warplanes continuously fly over the region," Chalabi said, adding that the Turkish forces are dropping troops on some mountains after the bombardment.

Rudaw also said that the Turkish forces stationed atop of eight mountain peaks after airdrops on border areas in Iraq's Kurdistan region.

Last month, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the beginning of operations to clear the mountainous area of Iraqi Kurdistan region and Sinjar area, some 70 km west of Mosul, from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants.

Turkish forces frequently carried out anti-terror operations, airstrikes and artillery bombardment targeting the positions of the PKK militants, with main focus on Qandil mountainous region, where the group's main base is located. Enditem