Two Turkish troops killed in clashes in KRI

Two Turkish troops killed in clashes in KRI
Publish:
A+ A-
The Turkish Defense Ministry has announced two recent deaths in clashes in the ongoing Turkish military campaign.

The Turkish Ministry of Defense announced on Sunday that two Turkish troops were killed on Saturday in clashes with the Kurdish fighters in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI).

The statement said that the soldiers were killed by an explosive device placed by the members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

The soldiers were identified as army sergeant Halil Yildiz and private Firat Guner.

The People's Defense Forces (HPG), armed wing of the PKK, had earlier claimed that the number of Turkish troops killed in recent clashes was seven.

Three of them were soldiers and four were village guards who served under Turkish command, HPG had said.

Operation Claw Lock

The Turkish military has launched its latest military campaign in KRI, dubbed "Operation Claw Lock" by Turkish officials, in mid April.

While Ankara says that the campaign is carried out in territories along the border line, Iraqi Defense Ministry said in a July report that Turkish forces breached Iraqi borders by 105 km, setting up five military bases and over a hundred military outposts in Iraqi soil.

The clashes between Turkish troops and PKK fighters have left scores of combatants dead on both sides. The actual figures of casualties remain unknown as those announced by the sides are highly controversial.