ERBIL — Turkish army on Wednesday heavily bombarded Gara mountain of Kurdistan before landing troops in the region seemingly for a new operation against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), Turkish Defense Ministry said.

The Turkish ministry said the operation was carried out in response to the threats made by the PKK to the national security of Turkey, a claim that is widely rejected by the PKK.

PKK-affiliated ANF News confirmed that heavy clashes had erupted in Gara mountain in Kurdistan Region’s Duhok province, saying Turkish warplanes and Cobra helicopters had bombarded the area before landing ground troops.

“Helicopters left the area after the guerrillas responded to the Cobras bombing of Gare,” the report said, noting that the clash was ongoing.

BasNews has learned that six villages were among the Turkish airstrike targets, and they are all unpopulated due to the decades-long armed clashes between the PKK and Turkey.

The has been no reports of civilian casualties yet.

It coincides with a new anti-PKK operation announced by the Turkish Interior Ministry earlier the day in the country’s Kurdish province of Hakkari.

BasNews