After all Turkey launched military operation near northern borders of IraqJune 11, 2007 - 14:24 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Already for several days Turkish army carries out a military operation aimed at neutralizing Kurdish militants in Turkish provinces, which border northern Iraq. The operation is being carried out in 11 provinces. More that 50 000 soldiers are involved in it with the support of armored cars, helicopters and air forces. Air and artillery strike targets not only on Turkish territory, but also on contiguous lands of Iraq, where too Kurdish separatists are based on. Kurdish sources assure that in the result of bombardments three Kurdish villages in northern Iraq have burnt down.The large-scale military operation was launched as a response to the firing of a Turkish roadblock in eastern Tunceli province by Kurdish militiamen, in the result of which 8 Turkish soldiers were killed and 6 wounded. Iraqi President Jalal Talabani stated that official Baghdad will view the operation of the Turkish army in the north of Iraq as an aggression towards his country. In her part U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called on Ankara to cease bombardment of Iraqi territories, since it "will not be of benefit to both countries", RIA "Novosti" reports. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. Armenia: Defense Ministry warns against involving army in political processes The Ministry’s statement came after a video surfaced online, showing soldiers joining the protests in Tavush. Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. Ucom equips four bus stops in Ijevan with free Wi-Fi Ucom now provides free Wi-Fi coverage in smart bus stops in four communities of Ijevan. |