Three Turkish soldiers killed in the Kurdistan Region: Turkish Defense Ministry
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Turkish Ministry of Defense on Monday identified three soldiers that were killed on Nov. 26 in an unspecified location in the Kurdistan Region.
— T.C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) November 26, 2023
The soldiers were identified as Necdet Calis, Fevzi Kiziltas, and Emrah Gunduz.
The soldiers were killed in the Kurdistan Region within the framework of Operation Claw-Lock against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
Operation Claw-Lock, launched in April, is an air-and-ground military campaign that has been ongoing in the mountainous areas of Kurdistan Region’s Duhok province.
— T.C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) November 26, 2023
In addition to the operation, Ankara regularly launches drone strikes against suspected members of the Kurdish militant group.
The Turkish army and PKK have engaged in a decades-old military conflict, resulting in thousands of casualties from both sides as well as civilians.
Kurdish officials have regularly called on warring sides to take their fight away from the civilian-populated areas, as the fighting has endangered the safety and livelihoods of the local population.
According to Airwars, more than 1,500 civilians have been allegedly killed by Turkish air and artillery strikes in both Syria and Iraq since July 2015.
In one instance, on Oct. 17, Dilovan Ishlik and his relatives from Makhmour camp were struck by a Turkish drone on Chinarok road in Koya. The attack killed Dilovan and injured three family members, just nine days after he got engaged and was preparing for his wedding.