Kurd rebels say they shot down Turkish helicopter

[maddezmom]

Source: Reuters

ZAKHU, Iraq (Reuters) - Kurdish PKK rebels said on Sunday they had shot down a Turkish attack helicopter in north Iraq, where they are battling Turkish troops in a conflict Baghdad and Washington fear could further destabilise Iraq.

Ankara launched the major cross-border land offensive on Thursday after months of aerial bombardment of PKK targets in the remote, mountainous region. It accuses the rebels of using northern Iraq as a base to stage deadly attacks inside Turkey.

"At 6 p.m. (3 p.m. British time) yesterday, our fighters shot down a Cobra helicopter," Ahmed Danees, head of foreign relations for the separatist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), told Reuters in Baghdad by telephone.


He gave no details of casualties but said more information would be released later. The incident occurred during fighting in the remote Chamsku area close to the border, Danees said.



Read more: http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyid=2008-02-24T121834Z_01_ANK000374_RTRUKOC_0_UK-TURKEY-IRAQ.xml

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Turkish jets fly into northern Iraq
By SELCAN HACAOGLU, Associated Press Writer

CUKURCA, Turkey - Turkish F-16 jets flew into northern Iraq on Sunday as elite commandos chased Kurdish guerrillas in a major ground operation across the border that has drawn criticism from the Iraqi government.

Armored personnel carriers transported troops in full combat gear and four long-range guns were positioned at the edge of a helicopter base in the hilltop, border town of Cukurca. At least four helicopter gunships were stationed at the base, one of the main support centers for the Turkish operation across the border, which began Thursday.

The Turkish military said it attacked rebel hide-outs on Saturday with fighter jets, helicopter gunships and artillery. The hide-outs had ammunition and explosives inside, a military statement said.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080224/ap_on_re_mi_ea/turkey_iraq;_ylt=Aq77B.cxfRCMAO5klpzYT.dw24cA

[bemildred]

1. Gee, I sure hope this doesn't get out of control. nt

[sattahipdeep]

5. Children Starved of Childhood.

http://dahrjamailiraq.com/hard_news/archives/iraq/000714.php

[ohio2007]

2. Quagmire settling in for Turkey in Iraq and ...... at home

Give the PKK sympathizers that live in Turkey a few months to start up their own urban IED warfare battle plans against the Turkish military.

[FarCenter]

3. Kurdistan also straddles the Iranian border

This could make things even more interesting, although I'd guess that the Turks and Iranians will cooperate, rather than interfere with each others' efforts against the Kurds.

But it might complicate US efforts to use the Kurds against the Iranians.

[ohio2007]

6. There is a Kurdish population in Syria also

Also a large population of Kurds in Kurdistan beleive it or not

[chelsea0011]

4. Turkey...Learning from US about aggression.

[paparush]

7. Exactly! This precedent we have set, premeditated war, will wripple across the globe.

[FarCenter]

8. There is also the precedent of Kosovo

Every combination of language and religion deserves its own homeland.

[The Croquist]

9. Good move Kurds

That's about as smart as me kicking Shaquille O'Neal in the shins.

Just don't try to stand behind us when they get pissed off.