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Turkish Soldier Killed, Another Injured in PKK Attack North Iraq

Two Turkish military helicopters participate in bombing PKK sites in northern Iraq. (Turkish Ministry of Defense)
Two Turkish military helicopters participate in bombing PKK sites in northern Iraq. (Turkish Ministry of Defense)
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Turkish Soldier Killed, Another Injured in PKK Attack North Iraq

Two Turkish military helicopters participate in bombing PKK sites in northern Iraq. (Turkish Ministry of Defense)
Two Turkish military helicopters participate in bombing PKK sites in northern Iraq. (Turkish Ministry of Defense)

A Turkish soldier was killed and another was injured during the weekend in an attack launched by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) on a Turkish military base in northern Iraq.
In a statement, the Defense Ministry said Turkish forces from the Operation Claw-Lock zone in north Iraq, intercepted on Saturday night a PKK attempt to infiltrate the base.
The operation claimed the life of one soldier, the Ministry said. Following the attack, Turkish retaliatory operations in the area “neutralized” eight PKK members, it added.
Ankara typically uses the term “neutralized” to mean killed.
“PKK terrorists, who tried to infiltrate the zone, were forced to flee after the successful intervention of our special forces,” the statement said.
Turkish soldiers then found weapons and ammunition in the possession of the terrorists during the search and sweep activities.
At least 21 Turkish soldiers were killed in PKK attacks on Turkish military bases in the “Claw-Lock” operation zone in the past two months.
In response, Turkish forces conducted raids on positions of the PKK in north Iraq and Syria.
Over the course of three decades, Ankara has established tens of permanent bases in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region to fight the PKK.
But the presence of Turkish troops in the area occasionally causes friction and tension with Baghdad.
In the past week, Ankara, Baghdad and Erbil have engaged in active and intensive talks on combating and cutting off support for the PKK, and also on imposing measures to control the Iraqi borders with Türkiye and Syria.
Ankara has highlighted the PKK's threat to Baghdad and Erbil to convince them to join its operations against the group.
Last week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan highlighted the recent progress made through ongoing consultations with Baghdad and Erbil.
“We see good developments in terms of steps both by the central administration in Baghdad and northern Iraq,” he said.
However, the Turkish President said that “despite numerous warnings, the Sulaymaniyah, namely the PUK administration (in northern Iraq), unfortunately, continues to embrace the terrorist organization,” warning that his country cannot overlook this matter.

 

 

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Arab World

Al-Alimi Says Will Not Allow Forceful Fait Accompli in Yemen’s Hadhramaut, al-Mahra

Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi meets with members of the advisory body (SABA)
Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi meets with members of the advisory body (SABA)
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Al-Alimi Says Will Not Allow Forceful Fait Accompli in Yemen’s Hadhramaut, al-Mahra

Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi meets with members of the advisory body (SABA)
Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi meets with members of the advisory body (SABA)

Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi on Saturday set out firm red lines against any attempts to impose a new military reality in the eastern provinces of Hadhramaut and al-Mahra, warning that developments there are not a political disagreement but a calculated course of unilateral steps that challenge the foundations of the transitional phase.

Speaking at an expanded meeting with the council’s advisory body, al-Alimi said protecting civilians is a core responsibility of the state, adding that the political leadership formally requested the intervention of the Saudi-led coalition supporting legitimacy, which he said responded immediately to contain the escalation, prevent bloodshed, and restore the situation to its natural course.

According to official media, al-Alimi reviewed developments in the eastern provinces, saying the state had acted with “a high degree of responsibility” in dealing with what he described as a dangerous escalation driven by military moves by the Southern Transitional Council, aimed at imposing a fait accompli by force and undermining the foundations of the transitional phase, foremost among them the transfer of power declaration and the Riyadh Agreement.

He stated that the escalation in Hadhramaut had expanded from administrative decisions into military movements, which included the districts of Ghayl Bin Yamin, Al Shihr, and Al Dis Al Sharqiya. He added that claims of fighting terrorism had been used as a pretext to alter the balance of power on the ground.

Al-Alimi stressed that counterterrorism is an exclusive responsibility of state institutions, warning that any actions outside this framework do not contain extremism but instead create dangerous security vacuums that threaten social cohesion and civil peace.

He also pointed to accompanying humanitarian violations, citing field and rights reports documenting civilian casualties and attacks on public and private property, as well as the erosion of the Yemeni state’s legal standing.

Coalition move and mediation support

Al-Alimi briefed the advisers on the outcomes of a meeting of the National Defense Council, which concluded that the escalation constituted a clear breach of the transitional references and an act of rebellion against legitimate state institutions, underscoring the state’s duty to protect civilians, impose de-escalation, and prevent bloodshed.

He stated that the political leadership, acting on the council’s recommendations, submitted a formal request to the coalition, seeking legitimacy to take immediate measures to protect civilians in Hadhramaut. The joint forces command responded promptly, he added, in a bid to prevent bloodshed and restore stability.

Al-Alimi warned that any military movements that undermine de-escalation efforts or endanger civilians would be dealt with directly, in a manner that safeguards lives and supports mediation efforts led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

He stated that this included the withdrawal of Southern Transitional Council forces from camps in Hadhramaut and al-Mahra, their handover to the National Shield forces, and the enabling of local authorities to exercise their constitutional powers.

He reiterated his full support for mediation led by Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, praising the two countries’ role in supporting Yemen’s unity and stability, and welcoming the remarks by Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, which he said reflected sincere fraternal concern for restoring Yemen's state institutions.

Al-Alimi also reaffirmed that resolving the southern issue remains a firm commitment through consensus and confidence-building measures, warning against unilateral actions that serve only Yemen’s enemies. He stressed the need to keep dialogue channels open and to mobilize efforts to confront the Houthi militias backed by Iran.

Arab World

Arab-Islamic Statement Rejects Link Between Israel’s Recognition of Somaliland and Attempts to Expel Palestinians

People walk along a street before the opening of polling stations for voting in the municipal elections in Hodan district of Mogadishu, Somalia December 25, 2025. REUTERS/Feisal Omar
People walk along a street before the opening of polling stations for voting in the municipal elections in Hodan district of Mogadishu, Somalia December 25, 2025. REUTERS/Feisal Omar
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Arab-Islamic Statement Rejects Link Between Israel’s Recognition of Somaliland and Attempts to Expel Palestinians

People walk along a street before the opening of polling stations for voting in the municipal elections in Hodan district of Mogadishu, Somalia December 25, 2025. REUTERS/Feisal Omar
People walk along a street before the opening of polling stations for voting in the municipal elections in Hodan district of Mogadishu, Somalia December 25, 2025. REUTERS/Feisal Omar

A growing number of countries are rejecting Israel's recognition of Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland as an independent nation, the first by any country in more than 30 years.

A joint statement by more than 20 mostly Middle Eastern or African countries and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation on Saturday rejected Israel's recognition “given the serious repercussions of such unprecedented measure on peace and security in the Horn of Africa, the Red Sea and its serious effects on international peace and security as a whole.”

The joint statement also noted “the full rejection of any potential link between such measure and any attempts to forcibly expel the Palestinian people out of their land.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Friday that he, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and Somaliland’s president, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, signed a joint declaration “in the spirit of the Abraham Accords.”

Somalia’s federal government on Friday strongly rejected what it described as an unlawful move by Israel, and reaffirmed that Somaliland remains an integral part of Somalia’s sovereign territory.

African regional bodies also rejected Israel's recognition. African Union Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf said that any attempt to undermine Somalia’s sovereignty risks peace and stability on the continent.

East African governing body IGAD said in a statement that Somalia’s sovereignty was recognized under international law and any unilateral recognition “runs contrary to the charter of the United Nations” and agreements establishing the bloc and the African Union.

The US State Department on Saturday said that it continued to recognize the territorial integrity of Somalia, "which includes the territory of Somaliland.”

Arab World

Italian Authorities Arrest 9 for Allegedly Funding Hamas Through Charities

Palestinian Hamas members secure the area as Egyptian workers accompanied by members of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) search for the remains of the last Israeli hostage in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City on December 8, 2025. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
Palestinian Hamas members secure the area as Egyptian workers accompanied by members of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) search for the remains of the last Israeli hostage in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City on December 8, 2025. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
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Italian Authorities Arrest 9 for Allegedly Funding Hamas Through Charities

Palestinian Hamas members secure the area as Egyptian workers accompanied by members of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) search for the remains of the last Israeli hostage in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City on December 8, 2025. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
Palestinian Hamas members secure the area as Egyptian workers accompanied by members of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) search for the remains of the last Israeli hostage in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City on December 8, 2025. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)

Italian authorities arrested nine people linked to three charitable organizations on suspicion of raising millions of euros in funds for the Palestinian group Hamas, anti-terrorism prosecutors said in a statement Saturday. 

The suspects are accused of sending about 7 million euros ($8.2 million) to “associations based in Gaza, the Palestinian territories, or Israel, owned, controlled, or linked to Hamas,” the statement said. 

Among those arrested was Mohammad Hannoun, president of the Palestinian Association in Italy, prosecutors said, describing him as the “head of the Italian cell of the Hamas organization.” 

The European Union has Hamas listed on its terror list. 

According to Italian prosecutors, who collaborated with other EU countries in the probe, the illegal funds were delivered through “triangulation operations” via bank transfers or through organizations based abroad to associations based in Gaza, which have been declared illegal by Israel for their ties to Hamas. 

Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi wrote on X that the operation “lifted the veil on behavior and activities which, pretending to be initiatives in favor of the Palestinian population, concealed support for and participation in terrorist organizations.” 

There was no immediate comment from the suspects or the associations. 

In January 202, the European Council decided to extend existing restrictive measures against 12 individuals and three entities that support the financing of Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.