Iraqi Kurdistan

One Dead, Six Wounded in Turkish Raid on Northern Iraq

A Turkish air strike on Iraqi Kurdistan killed one person and wounded six others Thursday, a local official said, as Ankara pushed an assault on the north of the country.

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Turkey Deploys Troops Against Kurdish Rebels in Iraq

Turkey launched an air and ground offensive against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq on Wednesday, in a move likely to increase friction with the Baghdad government. The defense ministry said “commandos” moved in supported by drones and helicopters, following a bombardment with rocket launchers and artillery guns that hit more than 150 targets. It added that the operation, dubbed “Claw-Tiger,” came after a “recent upsurge in attacks on our police stations and military bases” near the Iraqi border. Turkey carried out air strikes earlier this week that drew an angry response from Iraq, which labeled them “a violation of sovereignty.” The Turkish military regularly carries out operations against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in southeast Turkey and its rear bases across the border. The operation on Sunday night saw raids in the northern Iraqi territories of Kandil, Sinjar, and Hakurk. ‘Natural Right’ President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan‘s ruling party spokesman defended Turkey’s actions. “Turkey continues its effective fight against terror using its rights based on international law,” Omer Celik said on Twitter. “It is our most natural right and duty to fight against terrorists who attack our borders, citizens and security forces.” The PKK, which has fought an insurgency against the Turkish state since …

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US-led Coalition and Iraq resume operations against ISIS

Iraq and the US-led Coalition will resume joint operations against ISIS, nearly a month after attacks bases hosting American personnel forced a pause in the mission

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Iran fires ballistic missiles at Iraqi bases housing US troops

Iran fired missiles at Iraqi bases housing the US forces in revenge for the US killing of IRGC Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani

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Fearing conscription into Assad’s army, Syrian Kurds flee to Iraq

Syrian Kurdish men in Iraq say they fled not only Turkey's military offensive but the possibility of conscription into Assad's army

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Coalition drives to build Iraqi Kurdistan’s Peshmerga into a self-sustaining force

Personnel from seven European Coalition nations will soon transition from direct training to mentoring the Kurdistan region’s iconic Peshmerga force

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‘It’s very easy for ISIS’ – Peshmerga commander warns of return to Iraq mountain town

Peshmerga commander Sirwan Barzani says it's easy for ISIS to hide out in pockets of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

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Five Italian special forces personnel injured in IED explosion in northern Iraq

Five Italian special forces personnel were wounded when they were struck by an IED while supporting Kurdish Peshmerga in northern Iraq

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Amid Iraqi protests, Kurdish region balances Iran’s IRGC

The US partnering with the Kurdistan Region of Iraq is a force multiplier to keep stability in the region as Baghdad grapples with protests, Seth Frantzman and Dr. Eric Mandel argue

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Roadside bomb ‘placed by PKK’ kills 2 Turkish soldiers in northern Iraq

Two Turkish soldiers were killed in northern Iraq by a roadside bomb that Turkey's defense ministry blamed on the PKK

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