Turkey continues offensive against Kurds in Iraq and Syria – 326 fighters killed Turkey continues offensive against Kurds in Iraq and Syria – 326 fighters killed

Hundreds of fighters have been killed since the Turkish army launched an offensive against Kurdish militias in Iraq and Syria, according to the defense ministry in Ankara.

326 “terrorists” were “neutralized”, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Friday, according to state news agency Anadolu. The operation will continue with airstrikes and land guns.

No civilians or allied troops were injured in the attacks, said Akar, who described the attacks as “retaliatory strikes”. The Turkish army only targets terrorists. “Wherever the terrorists are, that’s our goal.” The information about the attacks and the number of victims could not be independently verified.

Since Sunday, Turkey has been carrying out airstrikes in northern Iraq and northern Syria against the Syrian Kurdish militia YPG and the outlawed Kurdish Workers’ Party PKK, which Turkey fights as terrorist organizations. Ankara blames them for an attack on Istanbul’s Istiklal shopping street almost two weeks ago.

However, both groups denied this. The United States sees the YPG as a partner in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) terror militia in Syria, whose cells are still active in the country. (aeg/sda/dpa)