Two Turkish soldiers were killed in northern Iraq on Sunday when members of the “separatist terror organization” opened fire on them, the Turkish Defense Ministry announced on Sunday.
The soldiers, identified as Hasan Taş and Furkan Günergök, were in the area as part of Operation Claw-Lightning, an operation launched by the Turkish military in April 2021 against militants of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey and much of the international community.
The soldiers, who were seriously injured in the attack, later died at a hospital.
Although the ministry did not openly mention the name, it was referring to militants of the PKK as the perpetrators of the attack.
The Turkish military has launched multiple operations inside Turkey, in Iraq, and in Syria against Kurdish militants from or linked to the PKK.
The PKK has been waging an insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984.
