Four Turkish soldiers killed in two attacks by Kurdish militants, Turkey says
Four Turkish soldiers were killed and two others wounded in two separate attacks by Kurdish militants on Saturday, the Turkish defence ministry said, adding that the army had retaliated.
One Turkish soldier was killed and another wounded in an attack by the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia in the mainly Kurdish-controlled northern Syrian region of Tal Rifaat, the defence ministry said in a statement.
The attack took place in a region where Turkey carried out a cross-border operation dubbed Euphrates Shield in 2016, aimed at driving Islamic State (IS) group militants and the YPG from its border with Syria, the ministry said.
Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar was later cited by the state-run Anadolu news agency as saying the military had killed 23 militants in retaliation for the attacks from Syria.
Stay informed with MEE's newsletters
Sign up to get the latest alerts, insights and analysis, starting with Turkey Unpacked
A Turkish security official told Reuters that the army was carrying out small operations to eliminate threats from the Tal Rifaat region, but that it could launch "a bigger operation" if necessary.
Separately, three Turkish soldiers were killed and another wounded in the southeastern Turkish province of Hakkari, which borders northern Iraq, after Kurdish militants shelled the region, the defence ministry said in a separate statement.
"Three of our brothers in arms died as martyrs after mortar fire from northern Iraq by terrorists," the ministry said, in reference to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) group, AFP reported.
The PKK, branded a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union, has waged an insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984. The conflict has claimed more than 40,000 lives.
The PKK's deployment in northern Iraq has been a constant source of tension between Baghdad and Ankara, with Turkey pressing Iraq to play a bigger role in fighting the group.
Turkey said the military had returned fire and launched a cross-border operation in the region backed by fighter jets to destroy militant targets.
Akar said the military had killed five other militants in the cross-border operation into northern Iraq, and a total of 28 militants in response to the two attacks.
"We neutralised 28 terrorists who carried out the attacks. Our operations both inside and outside our country continue with great determination," Akar said, according to Anadolu.
Turkey's military has regularly carried out air strikes against Kurdish militants in northern Iraq. It also shelled YPG positions in the Tal Rifaat region earlier this year, saying this was in response to YPG fire.
Tal Rifaat is controlled by Kurdish-led forces and is located about 20km east of Afrin, which has been under the control of Turkey and its Free Syrian Army (FSA) allies since an operation last year to drive out the YPG.
Turkey, which has long been one of the main backers of rebel groups fighting against Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, has conducted patrols with Russia, one of Assad's main allies, in northern areas under agreements reached last year.
In March, the defence ministry said Turkish and Russian forces had carried out the first "independent and coordinated" patrols in Tal Rifaat.
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.
