A Turkish soldier has been killed in an explosion of an improvised explosive device (IED) in northern Iraq, the Turkish Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.
The soldier, Ünal Sipahi, died Monday after an IED that Turkey claims was planted by outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants exploded in an area where Turkish forces are deployed as part of Operation Claw-Lock, the ministry said in a statement.
Operation Claw-Lock, an air and ground offensive that targets hideouts of the PKK in the Metina region of Iraq, was launched in April 2022.
Another soldier was injured in the explosion, the ministry said, adding that the injured soldier was immediately taken to a nearby hospital.
The Turkish military has launched multiple operations inside Turkey, in Iraq, and in Syria against Kurdish militants from or linked to the PKK.
The PKK, which has been waging a bloody campaign in Turkey’s Southeast since 1984, is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey and much of the international community.