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Turkish Soldier Killed, Six Injured in Northern Iraq Operations

The Turkish army regularly conducts cross-border operations and air raids against PKK bases in northern Iraq [File: Reuters]
The Turkish army regularly conducts cross-border operations and air raids against PKK bases in northern Iraq [File: Reuters]
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Turkish Soldier Killed, Six Injured in Northern Iraq Operations

The Turkish army regularly conducts cross-border operations and air raids against PKK bases in northern Iraq [File: Reuters]
The Turkish army regularly conducts cross-border operations and air raids against PKK bases in northern Iraq [File: Reuters]

Turkey’s Defense Ministry announced the death of one soldier and the injury of six others during the two military offensives launched on Friday against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) targets in northern Iraq.

Turkish forces attacked the PKK in Avasin-Basyan and Metina areas near Duhok’s border with Turkey, in two operations dubbed “Claw-Lightning” and “Claw-Thunderbolt.”

Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said Turkish forces neutralized 31 PKK elements in the new ground-and-air offensives.

He carried out an inspection visit to the 3rd Infantry Division Command in Yuksekova district of Turkey’s southeastern Hakkari province, accompanied by Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) commanders.

“Our fight is against all terrorists,” Akar stressed, noting that Turkey will continue launching “anti-terror operations” until the last terrorist is neutralized.

“So far, a total of 1,132 terror targets have been hit with our land fire support vehicles. Our Air Force also achieved great success as a whole, hitting 120 targets in total.”

The armed forces are determined to protect 84 million Turkish citizens from the threats posed by all terrorist organizations, Akar noted.

He highlighted PKK’s presence in northern Iraq, stressing that its elements continue to create hideouts in anticipation of an attack by the Turkish armed forces.

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Four Moroccan Truck Drivers Kidnapped in Burkina Faso Are Released

A general view of the Moroccan capital Rabat. (File photo/AFP)
A general view of the Moroccan capital Rabat. (File photo/AFP)
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Four Moroccan Truck Drivers Kidnapped in Burkina Faso Are Released

A general view of the Moroccan capital Rabat. (File photo/AFP)
A general view of the Moroccan capital Rabat. (File photo/AFP)

Four Moroccan truck drivers who were kidnapped in West Africa over the weekend were released in Niger, officials said, according to AP.

The drivers were the latest victims of insecurity in the Sahel, an arid swath of land south of the Sahara where militant groups such as ISIS - Sahel Province have in recent years exploited local grievances to grow their ranks and expand their presence.

The four were transporting electrical equipment from Casablanca to Niamey, the capital city of Niger, and had been on the road for more than 20 days traveling the 3,000-mile (4,950-kilometer) truck route when they were reported missing on Saturday, said the secretary-general of Morocco's Transport Union and a Moroccan official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment on the kidnapping.

The Moroccan Embassy in Burkina Faso late on Monday informed the union that the four drivers had been freed and were safe in Niamey.

“They will be brought back soon,” said Echarki El Hachmi, the union's secretary-general.

Their trucks and hauls remain missing, he added.

Burkina Faso and Niger are battling extremist militant groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS, whose insurgencies have destabilized Sahel states in West Africa over the past decade.

A Moroccan diplomatic source earlier said the embassy was working together with Burkina Faso authorities to find the drivers.

Authorities in Burkina Faso have been organizing security convoys to escort trucks in the border area to protect against militant attacks, the source said.

El Hachmi had told Reuters that the trucks set off after waiting for a week without getting an escort.

He urged more protection in high-risk areas as the number of Moroccan trucks crossing the Sahel continues to rise.

Earlier this month, a convoy of Moroccan trucks was attacked on the Malian border with Mauritania. There were no casualties, El Hachmi said.