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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Turkey 'pulls some Iraq troops' | Turkey 'pulls some Iraq troops' |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Some Turkish troops staging a ground offensive against Kurdish rebels have left northern Iraq, reports say. | Some Turkish troops staging a ground offensive against Kurdish rebels have left northern Iraq, reports say. |
| But US sources told Reuters news agency that it was too early to call the pull-back a full withdrawal. | But US sources told Reuters news agency that it was too early to call the pull-back a full withdrawal. |
| Turkey launched the cross-border attack last Thursday, accusing Iraq of failing to stop members of the Kurdish PKK from using the area as a safe haven. | Turkey launched the cross-border attack last Thursday, accusing Iraq of failing to stop members of the Kurdish PKK from using the area as a safe haven. |
| It says more than 20 soldiers and some 240 rebels have been killed. The PKK says it has killed over 100 soldiers. | It says more than 20 soldiers and some 240 rebels have been killed. The PKK says it has killed over 100 soldiers. |
| "We are seeing a limited portion of the troops that had entered Iraq moving back toward Turkey. [It's] too early to call this a withdrawal," an unnamed US official in Baghdad wrote in an email to Reuters. | "We are seeing a limited portion of the troops that had entered Iraq moving back toward Turkey. [It's] too early to call this a withdrawal," an unnamed US official in Baghdad wrote in an email to Reuters. |
| The move comes a day after President George W Bush urged Nato ally Turkey to wind up the raid and get out of Iraq. | The move comes a day after President George W Bush urged Nato ally Turkey to wind up the raid and get out of Iraq. |
| Iraq says the incursion is unacceptable and violates its sovereignty. | Iraq says the incursion is unacceptable and violates its sovereignty. |
| Click to view a detailed map of the border regionEnlarge Map | |
| But Ankara argues that as many as 3,000 Kurdish rebels use the region as a safe haven. | |
| The PKK, which Turkey and the EU brand a terrorist organisation, has launched a number of attacks on Turkish troops and civilians from northern Iraq. | |
| Analysts say Turkey had to mount a show of strength after a wave of devastating PKK ambushes on Turkish troops in September and October last year. | |
| Turkey's campaign began with air strikes in December, supported by real-time intelligence from the US. Deploying ground troops was a crucial follow-up. | |
| The strategic aim of the operation is to demolish the main PKK bases in northern Iraq and prevent fresh attacks from there in spring, analysts say. |