  Turkish jets raid PKK bases  August 18, 2011 - 09:58 AMTPanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish jets launched air raids on suspected bases belonging to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, in northern Iraq on Wednesday, August 17. The raids came hours after eight soldiers and a village guard were killed in an ambush by PKK members. Some 15 warplanes took off to strike at bases which the PKK use as a springboard to attack targets inside Turkey. CNNTürk television said Turkish F-16s were involved in the raids. Pro-PKK Firat news agency said the Turkish jets were also targeting Qandil, a mountain on the Iraqi-Iranian border, where the PKK leaders are believed to be hiding. The reports were based on unidentified sources and there was no immediate official confirmation of the strikes. Turkish officials warned of a major offensive against the PKK following the ambush on a military convoy near the border with Iraq, that killed eight soldiers and a village guard working with them. Earlier this week, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Turkey is at the end of its tether and hinted toward a strong offensive after the end of the holy month of Ramadan. But Wednesday's attack appears to have forced Turkey to bring plans forward, Hurriyet Daily News reported.   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 |  Latest news The Power of One Dram to benefit Road of Life charity  The companies inform that the May beneficiary of The Power of One Dram is the “Road of Life” charitable organization.Ucom General Director gives lecture at French University in Armenia The General Director of Ucom Ralph Yirikian delivered a lecture at the French University of Armenia.Kazakhstan welcomes Yerevan, Baku’s agreement to meet in Almaty Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has welcomed the agreement of Baku and Yerevan to hold negotiations in Almaty.Armenia offers to temporarily host, preserve Gaza manuscripts The Armenian Foreign Minister has said Yerevan is ready to help preserve manuscripts from the conflict zone in Gaza. |
