Turkish Sorties Into Iraq Kill 34 Kurdish Fighters

But army holds off, for now, on any large-scale invasion
By Sam Gale Rosen,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 24, 2007 2:16 PM CDT
Turkish Sorties Into Iraq Kill 34 Kurdish Fighters
A pro-government Kurdish village guard offers his prayers as the other secures him in Yuksekova, in the Hakkari province, near the Turkish-Iraqi-Iranian border, southeastern Turkey, Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2007. Turkish warplanes and helicopter gun ships bombed positions of Kurdish rebels along the rugged...   (Associated Press)

Turkish incursions into northern Iraq have killed 34 Kurdish fighters over the past few days, and the Turks today targeted positions along the border with airstrikes, Reuters reports. Some 300 troops have crossed into Iraq by 6 miles, and planes have struck as far as 13 miles. So far, though, Turkey has held off on any large-scale invasion feared by the US and Iraq, the Guardian reports.

"Further 'hot pursuit' raids into northern Iraq can be expected, though none have taken place today," says a military official, adding that all troops are back on home turf. Turkey, which has NATO's second-largest army, has massed 100,000 troops near the Iraq border—and the PM said yesterday that the nation "cannot wait forever" to strike. (More Turkey stories.)

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