ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Turkish defense ministry announced Thursday the death of three of its soldiers in an attack carried out by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the Kurdistan Region. However, the Kurdish group claimed they killed at least eight soldiers in an extensive military activity. “Three of our heroic soldiers were martyred as a result of an attack carried out by terrorists on December 9, 2021 in the Claw-Lightning operation region in the northern Iraq,” said the ministry in a statement, adding that the army hit the detected targets of the PKK through airstrikes. Six PKK fighters were also “neutralized” when the Turkish army responded to the attack, according to the ministry. In late April, Turkey launched Operations Claw-Lightning and Claw-Thunderbolt against the PKK in areas of northern Duhok, near the border. The PKK is an armed Kurdish group fighting for greater political and cultural rights of Kurds in Turkey. Ankara considers it a terrorist organization and frequently pursues the group across the border in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq and Syria. People's Defence Forces (HPG), PKK's armed wing, said in a statement on Thursday that its fighters began attacking Turkish military bases in the Zap area on five sides at 2pm on Wednesday, lasting until early Thursday. “As a result of this victorious activity, several invaders were punished. Our forces closely observed the dead bodies of eight invaders,” is said, adding that they were able to confiscate two M-16 rifles, projectiles, BKC and other military equipment.
