Erbil – AKI — Turkish troops armed with artillery bombarded several villages in Iraqi Kurdistan, near the Turkish border, at dawn on Wednesday , according to a well informed source in the area.
The source told Adnkronos International (AKI) that “the bombardment involved various villages in the al-Sanadi, Batufa, Kani Massi and Brawari Bala areas. He underlined that “more than 150 shells fell on these villages” and that “to date there is no clear information on human and material losses.”
He said many inhabitants had fled south as the firing started around 4 am on Wednesday morning until it concluded around four hours later.
“Todays bombardment was the most violent since the start of this period of tension near the common border” the source said.
The Turkish army has deployed 200,000 soldiers near the border with Iraq’s autonomous region of Kurdistan. It is seeking to flush out militants of the outlawed Kurdish Peoples Party (PKK) many of whom operate from bases across the border.