Turkish warplanes attacked several Kurdish rebel targets in northern Iraq on Thursday, Turkey's military said, according to AP. No casualties were immediately reported. The fighter jets targeted 16 rebel positions in the Hakurk region, just across the shared border, the military said in a statement posted on its Web site. It said the raids were «effective» and «successful» and that an assessment of the damage inflicted on the rebel group was under way. The Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, has been fighting for self-rule in the mainly Kurdish areas of southeastern Turkey since 1984. The violence has killed tens of thousands of people. Turkey has this year launched several air force attacks and one major ground operation against rebel bases across the border in Iraq to stamp out PKK bases there. Thursday's raid was the first cross-border attack reported since May 12. The Europe-based, pro-Kurdish news agency Firat confirmed the raids Thursday, saying warplanes taking off from a military base in southeastern Diyarbakir had hit villages in the mountainous border region. The agency said there were no immediate reports on possible casualties or damage. The military said, «The necessary sensitivity was shown so that the civilian population and local elements were not negatively affected.»
