Turkish soldier succumbs to injuries from terror attack in northern Iraq

A Turkish soldier, injured in a terrorist attack within Turkey's anti-terrorism operation zone in northern Iraq on Thursday, has tragically passed away, as announced by the Turkish National Defense Ministry.

The soldier, identified as Ali Demir, sustained injuries when terrorists initiated hostile fire within Turkey's Operation Claw-Lock zone. The ministry issued a statement on Thursday confirming the incident.

Regrettably, despite medical attention, Ali Demir succumbed to his injuries while being treated at the hospital.

The ministry expressed its heartfelt condolences to the family of Ali Demir, the Turkish Armed Forces, and the entire nation.

Although the specific affiliation of the terrorists was not disclosed, it is worth noting that the PKK terrorist group has a known presence in the region.

Turkey initiated Operation Claw-Lock in April of the previous year to target PKK terrorist hideouts located in the Metina, Zap, and Avasin-Basyan regions of northern Iraq, which are situated near the Turkish border.

This operation followed two prior actions, Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle, initiated in 2020 to eliminate terrorists who were using northern Iraq as a base for plotting cross-border attacks into Turkey.

In its extensive campaign spanning over 35 years against Turkey, the PKK, designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union, has been responsible for the loss of more than 40,000 lives, including women, children, and infants.