Turkish soldier killed by IED in northern Iraq

By Yasin Gungor

ISTANBUL (AA) - A Turkish soldier was killed in an anti-terrorist operation in northern Iraq, near the Turkish border, said the Turkish National Defense Ministry on Friday.

Sgt. Bahadir Ridvan Talay was killed by an improvised explosive device planted by members of a separatist terrorist group in the Operation Claw-Lock region, the ministry said. Another soldier was wounded and is being treated, it added.

The group responsible was not specified, but the terrorist PKK has been active in the region.

Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz, Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus, National Defense Minister Yasar Guler, Chief of General Staff Metin Gurak, and Communications Director Fahrettin Altun all extended condolences to Talay's family and the Turkish nation.

In its nearly 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK — listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and EU — has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.

Terrorists often hide out in northern Iraq, just across the Turkish border, to plot terror attacks in Türkiye.

Türkiye in 2022 launched Operation Claw-Lock to target terrorist PKK hideouts in northern Iraq's Metina, Zap, and Avasin-Basyan regions.