Turkish military launches air operation on PKK bases in N.Iraq

Turkish warplanes bombed Thursday PKK hideouts in the Zap-Avashin region in northern Iraq, army spokesman Brig. Gen. Metin Gurak was quoted by Turkish TV channels as telling at a weekly press briefing.  Â

He said the fighters were careful to select their targets to avoid harming any civilians in the operation.

There were no reports of casualties.Â

It is the latest of a series of Turkish strikes against terrorist hideouts in northern Iraq, from where the PKK have staged hit-and-run attacks on Turkish targets for decades.

The PKK is listed as a terrorist group by Turkey and much of the international community, including the EU and the US.