Turkish airstrike kills 5 PKK members in northern Iraq

Airstrikes

ANKARA, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- A total of five members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) were killed in an airstrike conducted by Turkish air forces in northern Iraq, Turkey's Ministry of Defense said on Monday.

The airstrike was carried out in Qandil region of Iraq, where the PKK's headquarters are based, in coordination with the ongoing Operation Claw, the ministry said on its Twitter account.

"In the air campaign in Qandil region in the north of Iraq in coordination with the Operation of Claw, gun positions, shelters belonging to PKK terrorists were hit and five PKK terrorists were neutralized," the statement said.

Turkish army carries out an intense military campaign against the PKK hideouts in northern Iraq where the group uses as a base to plan cross-border attacks on Turkey.

The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the EU, has been carrying out an armed campaign against the Turkish administration for more than 30 years.