PKK and Turkish army clash in Sidakan

10-05-2018

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Guerrilla fighters of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) have clashed with Turkish forces in the Sidakan sub district. Footage has emerged showing huge clouds of smoke rising over the mountainous area.

The fighting reportedly broke out around 11am on Thursday.

“The fight is happening in Deli Mount near Shapan village in Sidakan sub district,” Ihsan Chalabi, councilor of Sidakan subdistrict, told Rudaw.

“Both parties are fighting each other using light and heavy guns. The Turkish army is shelling the area using long-range shells in Mawan village in north Kurdistan. Reconnaissance planes are hovering over the area too.”

The PKK is a named terrorist organization which has waged a decades-long war against Turkey, aimed at achieving rights of self-determination for over 20 million Kurds in the country.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has regularly threatened to launch cross-border operations against the Kurdish guerrillas in Shingal and Qandil. Its air force frequently attacks suspected PKK hideouts in the northern Kurdistan Region, reportedly killing several civilians.

This is a developing story…