ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — At least three Turkish soldiers were killed in clashes between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in an operation launched by Ankara on Wednesday in Duhok province, according to Turkey.
The Turkish Ministry of Defense announced the death of a soldier on Thursday who was wounded in clashes on Duhok province’s Gara Mountain, in addition to two soldiers and the injury of four announced on Wednesday.
The PKK claims a much higher number have been killed, saying “at least nine Turkish soldiers” were killed, including a captain and a sergeant, according to sources from the group, as reported by PKK-affiliated outlet Firat News Agency (ANF) on Thursday.
They added that “heavy clashes” continue in the area, claiming that Turkey has bombed “many places in Gara”, including a camp where “prisoners of war” were kept.
The PKK and Turkey have not announced any casualties amongst the the armed group's fighters.
Turkey deployed forces to Duhok province’s Gara Mountain on Wednesday, launching a fresh operation against suspected PKK positions in the area, dubbed operation Claw-Eagle 2.
The ministry said it launched the operation as a result of the continued PKK presence in the area, claiming that the armed group has “suffered heavy losses” in previous Turkish military operations.
The PKK is an armed group fighting for increased rights for Turkey's Kurdish minority and has bases in the Kurdistan Region's Qandil mountains.
Ankara launched Operation Claw-Eagle mid-June last year, with warplanes launching strikes in northern Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. Two days later Turkey launched operation Claw-Tiger two days later, deploying commando forces to the Haftanin area of the Kurdistan Region against the PKK.
