War In The Middle East: Turkey Launches Airstrikes At Iran And Syria

Turkey retaliated against Kurdish rebels in Iraq and Syria today by firing a barrage of airstrikes on members of the Kurdistan Worker’s Party.

Just this Friday, Kurdish terrorists attacked a military base in northern Iraq, resulting in the death of six Turkish soldiers.

The attack is another indication of rising tensions in the Middle East, brought on by the war in Israel and now U.S. airstrikes on Houthi rebels.

PKK has stepped up attacks against Turkish outposts along the Turkey-Iraq border, with two major firefights with dozens of casualties on both sides in past three weeks. + Turkish Soldiers Killed Defending Base in Iraq's Kurdish Region https://t.co/V29Huvid11

— Rich Outzen (@RichOutzen) January 13, 2024

Fox News shares more on the initial attack against Turkish soldiers:

Six Turkish soldiers were killed Friday in an attack on a military base in northern Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region, the Turkish Defense Ministry said. Authorities blamed Kurdish militants.

Five died in the assault and another soldier succumbed to his wounds later. Another seven soldiers were wounded, two of them seriously, when the attackers attempted to infiltrate the base, the ministry said on social media. It said 12 militants had been “neutralized” and that operations were continuing in the area. The wounded troops were hospitalized for treatment.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan later expressed condolences for the families of the slain soldiers.

“We will fight to the end against the PKK terrorist organization within and outside our borders,” he said, referring to militants affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party.

Turkish ministry of Defense confirms the death of 5 Turkish soldiers today after a raid by the HPG (PKK) on their positions in the Autonomous Region of Kurdistan

Turkey will take out their frustration on the civilian infrastructure in Rojava (Syria) in another airstrike campaign https://t.co/FwknlkctLl

— ScharoMaroof (@ScharoMaroof) January 12, 2024

The Associated Press News shares more on the most recent airstrikes in Iraq and Syria:

Turkey carried out airstrikes targeting Kurdish militants in neighboring Iraq and Syria on Saturday, the Turkish Defense Ministry said. This comes a day after an attack on a Turkish military base in Iraq killed nine Turkish soldiers.

Turkey often launches strikes against targets in Syria and Iraq it believes to be affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, a banned Kurdish separatist group that has waged insurgency against Turkey since the 1980s.

The defense ministry said aircraft struck targets in Metina, Hakurk, Gara and Qandil in north Iraq, but didn’t specify areas in Syria. It said fighter jets destroyed caves, bunkers, shelters and oil facilities “to eliminate terrorist attacks against our people and security forces … and to ensure our border security.” The statement added “many” militants were “neutralized” in the strikes.

On Friday night, attackers attempted to infiltrate a military base in northern Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region, killing five soldiers. Four others died later of critical injuries. The Turkish Defense Ministry said 15 militants were also killed.