ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The Turkish military has confirmed that its warplanes carried out a series of airstrikes on the Mount Asos region of Sulaimani on Monday, allegedly targeting Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) positions. A statement from the Turkish General Staff on Tuesday, said that 41 PKK targets, including shelters and tunnels were destroyed. Kamaran Hassan, mayor of Mawat town in Sulaimani, told Rudaw on Monday during the intense bombing that the mountains have been targeted three times this month. He said the strikes have so far caused no casualties. Jets were spotted before the attack began, Hassan said, but at the time, it was unclear where they came from. The warplanes bombed the mountain for the first time on November 5, according to reports. Local officials said the planes were Turkish. Turkey frequently carries out airstrikes against alleged PKK positions in Kurdistan’s mountains. The PKK has its headquarters in the Qandil Mountains near the border with Turkey. The PKK and the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), an Iranian Kurdish group, are believed to have bases in the Mount Asos area. Mount Asos in Mawat town in Sharbazher region is 55 kilometers (34 miles) from Sulaimani.
