Istanbul, 13 January 2024 (dpa/MIA) - Turkish air strikes destroyed 29 suspected positions of the banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in Iraq and northern Syria on Saturday, the Defence Ministry in Ankara said.

The ministry, in a statement, said it "neutralized" 20 militants in Iraq`s north, using a term often used to refer to militants killed or captured.

An aerial campaign, backed by artillery, was aimed at shelters and oil facilities, the ministry said. It made its comments on the social media platform X.

The strikes come as clashes with PKK militants late Friday killed at least nine Turkish soldiers in northern Iraq. At least four soldiers were wounded after the PKK targeted a military base, Ankara said.

Overnight, a total of 113 suspects accused of PKK links were detained in raids across 32 Turkish cities and provinces, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on X.

Friday's clash with the PKK was the second deadliest in three weeks in an area where Ankara had launched a ground and air operation in 2022.

Later on Saturday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is scheduled to convene an extraordinary meeting in Istanbul with security and intelligence chiefs, according to Erdoğan's office.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the decades-long conflict between the Turkish state and the PKK, which is considered a terrorist organization by the European Union and the United States.

Turkey sees the PKK as a national security threat. Ankara controls areas in northern Syria and has military bases in Iraq's north in a bid to push alleged PKK and affiliated groups from its border.

Photo: EPA