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| Turkey planes bomb northern Iraq | Turkey planes bomb northern Iraq |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Turkish jets have fired on suspected Kurdish rebel targets across the border with Iraq, reports say. | Turkish jets have fired on suspected Kurdish rebel targets across the border with Iraq, reports say. |
| Turkish officials said the warplanes targeted the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), in areas near the border. | Turkish officials said the warplanes targeted the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), in areas near the border. |
| But officials in northern Iraq said the planes had struck several villages. There was no confirmation whether rebels were based in the villages. | But officials in northern Iraq said the planes had struck several villages. There was no confirmation whether rebels were based in the villages. |
| Turkey has targeted the PKK with artillery and air strikes since a spate of rebel attacks inside Turkey. | Turkey has targeted the PKK with artillery and air strikes since a spate of rebel attacks inside Turkey. |
| In October, Turkey's parliament voted to allow the military to launch operations into Iraq to combat the PKK, which had stepped up attacks in Turkey. | In October, Turkey's parliament voted to allow the military to launch operations into Iraq to combat the PKK, which had stepped up attacks in Turkey. |
| Ankara has massed up to 100,000 troops near the mountainous border with northern Iraq, backed by tanks, artillery and warplanes. | Ankara has massed up to 100,000 troops near the mountainous border with northern Iraq, backed by tanks, artillery and warplanes. |
| But Iraq and the US have urged Turkey not to carry out its threat. | But Iraq and the US have urged Turkey not to carry out its threat. |
| 'Comprehensive campaign' | |
| The Turkish planes struck several targets in different areas of northern Iraq, according to reports. | |
| One of the sorties hit an area near the Qandil mountains, a region relatively slightly away from the border into Iraqi territory regularly cited by Turkey as a centre of PKK activity. | |
| Turkey's military said a "comprehensive air campaign" was carried out at 0100 on Sunday (2300 GMT on Saturday). | |
| "The operations solely target the... terrorist movement. They are not conducted against people living in northern Iraq or local groups not engaged in enemy activity," the military said in a statement. | |
| But local officials in northern Iraq spoke of families fleeing their homes. | |
| A spokesman for Iraqi Kurdish forces said troops were being sent to the Qandil area to check for damage and possible casualties, the AFP news agency reported. | |
| As many as 3,000 PKK members are believed to be based inside northern Iraq. Turkey has accused the local Kurdish authorities of supporting them. | As many as 3,000 PKK members are believed to be based inside northern Iraq. Turkey has accused the local Kurdish authorities of supporting them. |