A Turkish drone strike in Iraqi Kurdistan on Monday killed two fighters from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and wounded two others, authorities said.
The Turkish army rarely comments on its operations in Iraq but it often carries out air and ground raids on PKK positions in the north of the neighbouring country, mostly in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region.
"Two fighters from the Kurdistan Workers' Party were killed and two others wounded when a Turkish army drone targeted a group of PKK fighters in Buskini, a village in the Ranya region," counter-terrorism services in Iraqi Kurdistan said in a statement.
The area lies north of Sulaimaniyah, the second largest city in Iraqi Kurdistan.
In the past 25 years Turkey has established dozens of military bases in Iraqi Kurdistan to fight the PKK, which also has rear bases in the area.
Last month Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country would "continue to intensify" its strikes against the PKK in Iraq and Syria, which Ankara and its Western allies consider a "terrorist" group.
Monday's strike on Iraqi Kurdistan came on the same day Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan was hosting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken for talks in Ankara.
At the end of October, 10 PKK members were killed in strikes by Turkish warplanes and drones in Iraqi Kurdistan, the authorities in the region said.
Both Baghdad and the Kurdistan regional government have been accused of tolerating Turkey's military activities to preserve their close economic ties.
In July 2022, artillery strikes blamed on Turkey hit a recreational park in the Iraqi Kurdish border village of Parakh, killing nine people.
Ankara denied responsibility for the attack and blamed the PKK.
Artificial Intelligence Analysis
Objectives:
This text is about a Turkish drone strike in Iraqi Kurdistan on Monday that killed two fighters from the Kurdistan Workers Party PKK and wounded two others, according to authorities.
Current
State-of-the-Art and Limitations:
The Turkish army rarely comments on its operations in Iraq but it often carries out air and ground raids on PKK positions in the north of the neighbouring country, mostly in Iraqs autonomous Kurdistan region.
Whats New and Why it will Succeed:
Last month, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country would continue to intensify its strikes against the PKK in Iraq and Syria, which Ankara and its Western allies consider a terrorist group.
Target Audience and Impact if Successful:
The target audience would be the people of Iraq and Kurdistan, who could benefit from an improved security situation if the Turkish strike is successful.
Risks Involved:
There is a risk that any military action taken against the PKK could lead to an escalation of violence and further destabilize the region.
Cost of Pursuing This Approach:
The cost of pursuing this approach would likely involve the cost of the drone and any other military equipment used in the strike.Timeline for Achieving Results:
The timeline for achieving results would depend on the effectiveness of the strike and the ability of the Turkish forces to follow up with additional actions as needed.Mid-term and Final
Success Metrics:
Mid-term success metrics would include a decrease in PKK activity in the region and an increase in the security situation. The final success metric would be a complete cessation of PKK activity in the region.
Score for Ability to Interest DARPA: 8/10
This text articulates the objectives, assesses the current state-of-the-art and its limitations, explains whats new and why it will succeed, identifies the target audience and the impact if successful, evaluates the risks involved in pursuing this approach, estimates the cost of pursuing this approach, and estimates the timeline for achieving results. However, it does not identify mid-term and final success metrics, so it does not receive a perfect score.
