The Turkish Ministry of Defence announced on Friday that one Turkish soldier died in Iraqi Kurdistan during operations against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
The ministry also announced that two members of the Kurdish group lost their lives during the ensuing attacks.
Turkey, which in recent years has largely extended its military footprint in northern Iraq, launched a new offensive in April 2022 named Operation Claw-Lock, targeting PKK fighters in the Metina, Zap and Avashin-Basyan regions of Iraqi Kurdistan.
The Turkish military reported clashes with the PKK in northern Iraq in recent weeks, despite the Kurdish group’s decision to halt operations following the 6 February earthquakes that hit Turkey’s south and Syria’s north.
The Turkish army is also continuing attacks against Kurdish targets in northern Syria.
Hawar News reported on Thursday that a 38-year-old civilian died and four others were wounded in Tal Tamr district of Hasakah due to Turkish shelling.
A Turkish drone also attacked a car travelling on the M4 highway in north Iraq on the same day, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported. The rights watchdog said that a female leader responsible for economic affairs in the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria and her driver died as a result.
Since the beginning of the year, at least 18 people, including one child, have died as a result of Turkish drone attacks in north Syria.
