PM’s Office: Turkey Attacks Kurdish Militia, ’ISIL’ Positions

Local Editor

The Turkish PM's office said their fighter jets bombed seven militant Kurdistan Workers' Party [PKK] targets in Northern Iraq. Kurdish forces had been battling "ISIL" militants for months.

Turkey had also launched simultaneous ground attacks against the PKK and "ISIL" in northern Syria the PM's office declared.

On Friday, Ankara announced joining the anti-"ISIL" coalition by providing jets and airbases.
The move was due to the growing threat to Turkey's security posed by the Takfiris, the Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement.

In addition, a statement from the Turkish prime minister's office indicated that Turkish jets hit PKK shelters, bunkers, caves, storages facilities and other "logistical points".

Turkey's military also shelled "ISIL" and PKK positions in Syria from across the Turkish border, the government said.

Meanwhile, Turkish police proceeded with a major operation against "ISIL", the PKK and the far-left DHKP-C for a second day running. More than 300 people were detained in raids in Istanbul and 21 provinces, the government statement said.

Tensions had flared with Kurds in recent days after an "ISIL" suicide bombing in the southeastern Turkish city of Suruc on Monday killed 32 people.

Accordingly, Kurdish groups held the Turkish government responsible for the blast, saying it had not been aggressive in battling the "ISIL" Takfiri group.

Turkey started attacking "ISIL" positions after the suicide bombing and an extremist ambush that killed a Turkish soldier.

On Friday, three F-16 jets struck "ISIL" targets that included two command centers and a gathering point near the Turkish border in Syria. The so-called "Syrian Observatory for Human Rights" said nine "ISIL" militants were killed in the raids. The extremists have yet to comment on the strikes.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team