Turkish Troops Launch Offensive In Iraq

About 5,000 Turkish troops crossed into northern Iraq and killed 56 Turkish Kurdish rebels during a two-day offensive, a newspaper reported Friday.

Early editions of Hurriyet said troops backed by warplanes and helicopter gunships crossed the border on Wednesday.

The operation, concentrated near the Turkish province of Hakkari, appeared to be larger than past cross-border pursuits of Turkish rebels, the report said.

Kurdish guerrillas fighting for autonomy within Turkey often launch hit-and-run attacks on their own country from bases in northern Iraq. Turkey regularly stages cross-border raids into the largely autonomous Kurdish region, where Baghdad has no authority.

The Iraqi Kurds’ de-facto state has been under the protection of a U.S.-allied air force since the 1991 Persian Gulf War.