The Turkish military has opened fire on a Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) camp in northern Iraq, according to reports by the Peyamner News Agency (PNA).
According to Arbil-based PNA, which is close to Massoud Barzani's Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party, the Turkish artillery fire commenced on Monday evening, targeting a suspected PKK camp near the village of Beduhe, and continued on Tuesday morning.
Local villages quoted by PNA described the artillery fire coming from the Turkish side of the border as "heavy."
Turkey threatened to carry out cross-border operations against PKK terrorists hiding in northern Iraq if the US forces in Iraq and the central Iraqi government fail to remove the PKK from Iraq.
Turkey has repeatedly called on the Iraqi government and the US to take swift action against the PKK terrorists hiding in Iraq, who frequently cross into Turkey to carry out terror attacks.
Turkey had carried out cross-border operations against the PKK terrorists in the north of Iraq in the past. Some 3500-4000 PKK terrorists are believed to be based in north Iraq.
In recent days, the US administration has indicated that it will appoint a special envoy to coordinate the fight against the PKK terror organization in north Iraq.
Speaking on Monday evening, Turkish government spokesman and justice minister Cemil Cicek announced that the steps being taken by the US and Iraqi authorities to deal with the PKK presence in north Iraq have not met Turkey's expectations.
Source: Ñihannews
Publication time: 9 August 2006, 12:09
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