Recent Strikes Targeting PKK Leadership Escalate Tensions in Long-standing Conflict

In a recent development in the ongoing conflict between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a senior PKK commander, Kadri Encu, codenamed Dogan, was reportedly "neutralized" in a Turkish drone attack on Gara mountain, situated within the Kurdistan Region. The operation was carried out by the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT), as reported by Turkey's state media outlet, Anadolu Agency.

Kadri Encu, also known as Dogan, was allegedly involved in facilitating the movement of terrorist groups in several regions of northern Iraq, including Gara, Zap, Metina, and Haftanin. These groups were believed to be planning and executing attacks against the region of Turkey, particularly in response to Turkey's anti-terror Operation Claw.

The incident follows another Turkish drone attack just days earlier, which targeted a PKK vehicle in the Sidakan subdistrict of Erbil province, resulting in the death of a high-ranking PKK commander and two affiliated fighters.

For decades, Turkey and the PKK have been embroiled in a protracted and deadly armed conflict, with consequences that extend well beyond the borders of Turkey. The PKK has established bases in the rugged and remote mountainous regions of the Kurdistan Region, which often become the focal points of Turkish aerial and artillery assaults. These attacks have had devastating effects on local civilians and have forced the abandonment of numerous villages and extensive farmlands.

The recent escalation of hostilities in the region underscores the continuing challenges faced in resolving this longstanding conflict, which has endured for decades and remains a source of instability in the region. International efforts to mediate a peaceful resolution to the conflict have so far yielded limited results, leaving both sides entrenched in a cycle of violence and retaliation.

As developments in this ongoing conflict continue to unfold, the international community watches closely, hoping for a path toward a lasting and peaceful solution to the protracted dispute between Turkey and the PKK.