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| Iraq warns Turkey over incursion | Iraq warns Turkey over incursion |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Iraq's foreign minister has warned that any escalation of Turkey's operation against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq could destabilise the region. | Iraq's foreign minister has warned that any escalation of Turkey's operation against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq could destabilise the region. |
| Hoshyar Zebari told the BBC Iraq did not approve the "limited" raid into a remote, uninhabited area, and said it should end "as soon as possible". | Hoshyar Zebari told the BBC Iraq did not approve the "limited" raid into a remote, uninhabited area, and said it should end "as soon as possible". |
| Both Turkey and the rebels have given conflicting casualty figures. | |
| The US has urged Ankara to limit the action and the UN chief says Turkey must respect international law. | The US has urged Ankara to limit the action and the UN chief says Turkey must respect international law. |
| Click to view a detailed map of the border regionEnlarge Map | Click to view a detailed map of the border regionEnlarge Map |
| Correspondents say the aim is to isolate rebels of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, PKK, and to prevent them using northern Iraq as a launch-pad for attacks on Turkish soil. | Correspondents say the aim is to isolate rebels of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, PKK, and to prevent them using northern Iraq as a launch-pad for attacks on Turkish soil. |
| More than 30,000 people have been killed since the PKK began fighting for a Kurdish homeland in south-eastern Turkey in 1984. | More than 30,000 people have been killed since the PKK began fighting for a Kurdish homeland in south-eastern Turkey in 1984. |
| The US, the EU and Turkey consider the PKK to be a terrorist organisation. | The US, the EU and Turkey consider the PKK to be a terrorist organisation. |
| Infrastructure targeted | Infrastructure targeted |
| Turkey said its ground forces had crossed the border to tackle rebels late on Thursday after an air and artillery bombardment. | Turkey said its ground forces had crossed the border to tackle rebels late on Thursday after an air and artillery bombardment. |
| Ankara says 24 Kurdish rebels and five Turkish soldiers have been killed. Rebels said they had killed 22 Turkish soldiers - with "not more than five" PKK soldiers wounded. There is no confirmation. | |
| Reports from Turkey on the size of the assault force have varied from 3,000 to 10,000 soldiers. | Reports from Turkey on the size of the assault force have varied from 3,000 to 10,000 soldiers. |
| The protection of civilian life on both sides of the border remains the paramount concern Ban Ki-moonUN secretary general Ground attack confusion | The protection of civilian life on both sides of the border remains the paramount concern Ban Ki-moonUN secretary general Ground attack confusion |
| Without confirming any figures, PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan, however, has said the offensive is limited in scale and troops will return as soon as possible. | Without confirming any figures, PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan, however, has said the offensive is limited in scale and troops will return as soon as possible. |
| Iraq's foreign minister said his government had only had been informed of the Turkish incursion "in the last minute" - and did not approve it. | Iraq's foreign minister said his government had only had been informed of the Turkish incursion "in the last minute" - and did not approve it. |
| "This is a limited military incursion into a remote, isolated and uninhabited region," Mr Zebari told BBC. | "This is a limited military incursion into a remote, isolated and uninhabited region," Mr Zebari told BBC. |
| "But if it goes on, I think it could destabilise the region, because really one mistake could lead to further escalation." | "But if it goes on, I think it could destabilise the region, because really one mistake could lead to further escalation." |
| Mr Zebari said despite a Turkish promise to Baghdad that Turkish troops would "avoid targeting the infrastructure", a number of bridges had already been destroyed. | Mr Zebari said despite a Turkish promise to Baghdad that Turkish troops would "avoid targeting the infrastructure", a number of bridges had already been destroyed. |
| PKK fighters are known to use northern Iraq as a base | PKK fighters are known to use northern Iraq as a base |
| Turkey has carried out at least one ground incursion, as well as frequent air and artillery strikes, against suspected PKK targets in Iraq since parliament authorised the army to act in October 2007. | Turkey has carried out at least one ground incursion, as well as frequent air and artillery strikes, against suspected PKK targets in Iraq since parliament authorised the army to act in October 2007. |
| But this operation's timing is unusual as the mountainous border area is still covered with heavy snow, the BBC's Sarah Rainsford reports from Istanbul. | But this operation's timing is unusual as the mountainous border area is still covered with heavy snow, the BBC's Sarah Rainsford reports from Istanbul. |
| Nor have there been any major PKK attacks inside Turkey for some time, she adds. | Nor have there been any major PKK attacks inside Turkey for some time, she adds. |
| Washington said it had been informed of the incursion in advance and that it had urged the Turks to limit their action to precise targeting of rebel Kurdish targets. | Washington said it had been informed of the incursion in advance and that it had urged the Turks to limit their action to precise targeting of rebel Kurdish targets. |
| UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed concern about the situation. | UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed concern about the situation. |
| "The protection of civilian life on both sides of the border remains the paramount concern," he said. | "The protection of civilian life on both sides of the border remains the paramount concern," he said. |
| Are you in the Turkey-Iraq border area? You can send us your experiences using the form below: | Are you in the Turkey-Iraq border area? You can send us your experiences using the form below: |
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| At no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. | At no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. |