Calls for military offensive against Kurds in Iraq

In Turkey, thousands of people have gathered to pay their respects to 15 soldiers killed, according to military officials, by Kurdish fighters in the south-east of the country.

The Army says the soldiers died when PKK militants attacked an army compound on the Iraqi border on Friday. 23 rebels are also said to have been killed. 20 soldiers were wounded while two are still missing.

Anti-PKK chants rang out as the crowd, some waving Turkish flags, called for a military offensive against the group.

The ambush in Semdinli prompted the heaviest fighting and the highest casualties of the last year.

As the funerals took place, Turkey’s Chief of Staff announced that fighter jets had launched airstrikes on PKK targets in Northern Iraq.

Next week, parliament is scheduled to approve a new mandate to launch military operations against the PKK in Iraq as needed. The current agreement expires on October the 17th.

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