Turkey Acknowledges Losing Two Soldiers In Northern Iraq

Turkish forces are seen at Mount Barsaya in northeast of Afrin, January 28, 2018 / Khalil Ashawi / Reuters

Two more Turkish soldiers had been killed in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, where Ankara is currently counducting an operation against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), the Turkish Ministry of National Defense acknowledged on May 29.

Soldier Hasan Çatal was killed on May 28 when an improvised explosive device went off as he and other soldiers were passing near it, while soldier, Muhammed Serttaş, died of wounds he sustained as a result of an unspecified attack on May 27.

The Turkish military launched its operation in the Kurdistan region, codenamed Operation Claw-Lock, on April 17. The main target of the operation is PKK cells in the areas of Metina, Zap and Avashin Basyan.

The new causalities bring to seven the number of Turkish troops killed in the Kurdistan region since May 25, and to 19 since the beginning of Operation Claw-Lock.

Turkey claims that its military has killed, wounded or captured 158 fighters of the PKK, so far. However, these claims remain unverified.

Operation Claw-Lock was condemned by all sides in Iraq including pro-Iranian factions. The operation also led to an escalation in attacks on Turkish troops in northern Iraq. On May 21, a group calling itself Ahrar Sinjar targeted a Turkish base near the town of Zaylkan in Bashiqa district in the northern Iraqi province of Nineveh with two suicide drones.

Despite facing objections and suffering some serious losses, Turkey appears to be determined to continue its military operation against the PKK.

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