BAGHDAD (Xinhua) – Four Katyusha rockets have landed near a Turkish military base in Iraq’s northern province of Nineveh, a local official said.
The rockets, fired by unknown militants in the evening, targeted the Bashiqa base housing Turkish forces in the Zlikan area some 400 km north of Baghdad, Mohammed Amin Gharib, mayor of the Zlikan area, told Xinhua.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
Iraq has repeatedly accused Turkey of violating its sovereignty by entering its territory without permission, including Turkey’s military presence in the Bashiqa base.
On April 18, Turkish forces launched a new ground and air cross-border offensive against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in northern Iraq.
The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, has been rebelling against the Turkish government for more than 30 years.
Turkey regularly conducts cross-border incursions into northern Iraq, despite Iraq’s repeated protests.
The Arab League has also condemned the Turkish military incursion, saying it constitutes “unacceptable and deplorable” violation of Iraq’s sovereignty and international law.
The military operations on Iraqi soil increased tension between Turkey and Iraq, said a statement by the pan-Arab body, calling on Ankara to stop such practices and respect the Iraqi sovereignty.