Turkey announced on Monday that it has initiated a fresh air and ground cross-border operation in northern Iraq against its outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Turkish air forces struck the PKK's shelters, bunkers, caves, tunnels, munitions dumps, and headquarters in the Metina, Zap, and Avasin-Basyan regions of northern Iraq first, said the Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar.

While artillery units struck the objectives, commando troops and Special Forces infiltrated the location by land, aided by helicopters and drones, according to Akar. "So far, our operation has gone according to plan. The first phase's goals were met, and the second phase's goals were met as well "he stated

The Turkish Defense Ministry claimed in a second statement that "Operation Claw-Lock" was begun when security forces established that the PKK was planning a large-scale attack. According to the ministry, the action is in conformity with Turkey's self-defense rights under UN Charter Article 51.

Turkey conducts cross-border attacks on PKK sites in northern Iraq on a regular basis. Iraq has condemned recent Turkish attacks in its northern area, emphasising its opposition to sovereignty violations. Turkey has designated the PKK as a terrorist organisation, and it has been fighting the Turkish government for more than 30 years.

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