Turkey launches Operation Kiran against PKK terrorists in Hakkari, Sirnak, Van

Turkey has launched Operation Kiran against Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorists in southeastern provinces of Hakkari, Sirnak, and Van, according to TRT World Now. The media organization further added that around 129 Turkish military teams will be participating in Operation Kiran to take control of pastures and plateaus in Hakkari, Sirnak and Van provinces.

#BREAKING: Turkish forces launch Operation Kiran against PKK terrorists in southeastern provinces of Hakkari, Sirnak and Van pic.twitter.com/T6s2z7lHyv

— TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) August 19, 2019

Earlier today, the mayors of Turkey's Diyarbakir, Van, and Mardin metropolitan municipalities, all People's Democratic Party (HDP) members, were dismissed early Monday by the Interior Ministry over terrorism charges. They were accused of diverting money and resources from their municipalities to support the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) agenda.

In the morning today, Turkish fighter jets carried out strikes on a village near the base of the Kurdistan Region's Qandil Mountains. The Turkish authorities said they had killed five alleged PKK fighters whereas locals reported three civilian casualties. These raids come as part of the country's so-called Operation Claw, which began in late May. The campaign has entered its second phase, Turkish authorities announced earlier.

The PKK is engaged in a decades-long insurgency against Turkey over Kurdish rights and self-rule in a conflict that has resulted in the death of over 40,000 people on both sides.