Turkish soldier killed in Kurdistan Region in fight against PKK

Launched in April this year, the operation targets the alleged positions of Ankara’s long-standing foe, the PKK, in the mountainous areas of the Kurdistan Region.
Ceremony farewell to the body of a Turkish soldier who was killed by the PKK. (Photo: AFP)
Ceremony farewell to the body of a Turkish soldier who was killed by the PKK. (Photo: AFP)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Turkish Defense Ministry on Monday announced that one of its soldiers has been killed in a military operation against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the Kurdistan Region.

Hussein Korkmaz was killed in the Zap-Avashen area in the Duhok province during Operation Claw-Lock against the Kurdish militants, according to the ministry.

Launched in April this year, the operation targets the alleged positions of Ankara’s long-standing foe, the PKK, in the mountainous areas of the Kurdistan Region.

Turkey has conducted several operations against the PKK over the past few years. Operation Claw-Lock succeeds Operations Claw-Lightning and Thunderbolt, launched in 2021, and Operations Claw-Eagle and Tiger in 2020. 

As fighting has recently intensified between the sides, Turkey announced that at least five of its soldiers have been killed over the past few days.

Both warring sides frequently publish exaggerated figures of each other’s causalities. Kurdistan 24 has not been able to independently verify the figures.

In addition to military operations, Turkey targets the alleged members of the militant group inside the Region’s urban centers with drone strikes.

Kurdistan Region officials regularly call on both Ankara and the PKK to take their fights away from the populated areas, as they have endangered the safety and livelihoods of the civilian population.

At least 40,000 people have been killed in the Turkish-PKK conflict since it began in 1984.