Turkey says it has airlifted troops for a cross-border ground operation against Kurdish militants in northern Iraq. A Defence Ministry statement said Wednesday the airborne operation in Iraq's Haftanin region was launched following "intense" artillery fire into the area. Turkey regularly carries out air and ground operations against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, which maintains bases in northern Iraq. There was also no immediate comment from Baghdad or northern Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region. It is considered a terror organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.

Source: CBC News June 17, 2020 05:15 UTC