Iran says 16 killed in infiltration from northern Iraq
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Twelve militants and four police were killed during a border infiltration from northern Iraq into Iran's West Azerbaijan province, the AFP quoted on Thursday a report by the Fars news agency.
"A group of 40 terrorists who had infiltrated the Haj Omran area near Piranshahr were caught in our fire, resulting in 12 of them being killed and a number being injured and the rest escaping," Fars quoted a West Azerbaijan police information officer, Shahnam Rezaei, as saying. Â
He said four Iranian border patrol police also died in the shoot-out and one was wounded, but gave no further details or the date of the clash.
Turkey said on Thursday it is cooperating with Iran by sharing information and coordinating strikes against outlawed PKK separatists in northern Iraq.
Turkey and Iran have been long fighting against the terrorist movements operated by both the outlawed PKK and the PEJAK, the PKK’s breakaway faction in Iran.
Turkey, provided with intelligence on PKK movements in Iraq by the U.S., has stepped up military action against the PKK, which is listed as a terrorist group by much of the international community including the U.S. and the EU, since December, carrying out several air strikes and a week-long ground incursion into northern Iraq in February, where more than 2,000 PKK separatists take refuge.Â