Baku condoles with Ankara over Turkish troops' killing in Iraq

By Vugar Khalilov

Azerbaijani Defence Minister Zakir Hasanov has paid condolences to Turkey over three servicemen's killing in a PKK attack in northern Iraq, the Defence Ministry reported on its Twitter account on December 9.

“I was saddened by the news that three Turkish servicemen were killed as a result of the treacherous terrorist attack during Pence-Yildirim Operation. Your pain is our pain,” the ministry tweeted.

Earlier, Turkey’s National Defence Ministry announced that three soldiers were killed and seven were injured in a terrorist attack in northern Iraq, where the Turkish army conducted the Pence-Yildirim (Claw-Lightning) anti-terrorism operations.

"Three of our heroic comrades were martyred as a result of the attack carried out by terrorists on December 09, 2021, in the Claw-Lightning operation region in the north of Iraq. We wish God's mercy on our martyrs who lost their lives in this incident, which left us with deep pain and sadness, and we express our condolences and patience to their grieving families, the Turkish Armed Forces and our noble nation," the Turkish National Defence Ministry said.

It added that six terrorists were neutralized as a result of the air operation carried out by the Turkish Army following the terrorist attack.

"Targets identified in the region were struck in an air operation and six terrorists were neutralised according to initial indications. Operations in the region are continuing," the statement said.

The Pence operations are a series of offensives Turkey has carried out since 2019 against terrorist organisations in northern Iraq, particularly the PKK.

The antiterrorism operations Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle were initiated in June 2020, while Claw-Lightning and Claw-Thunderbolt were launched in Iraq’s Metina and Avasin-Basyan regions in April 2021.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.

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