Türkiye bombs 30 targets in Iraq and Syria in retaliation for the deaths of 9 of its soldiers in Iraq

The Turkish Defense Ministry confirmed on January 13 that its military had conducted overnight airstrikes on nearly 30 “terrorist targets” in northern Iraq and Syria after nine Turkish soldiers were killed at a military base near the northern Iraqi city of Metina.

Thổ Nhĩ Kỳ oanh tạc 30 mục tiêu ở Iraq và Syria trả đũa 9 binh sỹ nước này tử trận tại Iraq

A Turkish F-16 fighter jet takes off from Incirlik air base in the southern Turkish city of Adana (Source: Murad Sezer/Reuters)

“Airstrikes were carried out against terrorist targets in the Metina, Hakurk, Gara and Qandil areas,” the Turkish Defense Ministry said in a statement.

The targets included “cave, bunker and oil facilities” used by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the People’s Protection Units (YPG), a Syrian Kurdish militia that forms the core of US-allied forces in the coalition against the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is scheduled to chair an emergency security meeting on January 13 in Istanbul to discuss the increasing trend of attacks on the country's military in the region.

Türkiye launched Operation Claw-Lock in northern Iraq in April 2022, during which it established several bases in the northern Iraqi province of Duhok. The Iraqi government has repeatedly protested the presence of Turkish troops and called for their withdrawal.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan posted on X. “We will fight to the end against the PKK terrorist organization within and outside our borders.”

Also on Saturday, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on social media that authorities had arrested 113 people on suspicion of links to the PKK.

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