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Turkish troops 'cross into Iraq' Turkish troops 'cross into Iraq'
(about 1 hour later)
A group of Turkish troops has crossed into northern Iraq, officials in Iraq have said. About 300 Turkish troops have crossed into northern Iraq, officials in Iraq have said.
Some 300 lightly-armed soldiers entered Iraq overnight and moved up to three kilometres (two miles) inside, a senior Iraqi military source told Reuters. The lightly-armed soldiers entered Iraq overnight and moved up to three kilometres (1.9 miles) inside, an Iraqi Kurdish spokesman said.
So far Ankara has not confirmed the reports.So far Ankara has not confirmed the reports.
Turkey has warned it could deploy its troops in northern Iraq to fight PKK Kurdish rebels who have bases there. It is believed to be the first Turkish deployment of troops inside Iraq since the Cabinet approved the measure last month, in a bid to hunt Kurdish rebels.
Turkish warplanes bombed suspected PKK (Kurdistan's Worker's Party) bases in northern Iraq over the weekend. The Turkish army blames rebels from the Kurdistan's Workers' Party (PKK) of using bases inside Iraq to launch attacks on Turkey.
A spokesman for the Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga security forces told the BBC that the Turkish troops entered Iraq in an area called Seeda Kan - in the triangle between Iraq, Iran and Turkey
He said it was a mountainous area with very difficult terrain.
Iraqi forces also reported hearing small arms fire from the area.
Weekend air raids
The troops move came after Turkish warplanes bombed suspected PKK bases in northern Iraq over the weekend.
Click to view a detailed map of the border regionEnlarge Map
Iraqi officials have said bombs hit 10 villages, killing one woman, while the PKK has reported seven deaths.Iraqi officials have said bombs hit 10 villages, killing one woman, while the PKK has reported seven deaths.
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. Turkey's Cabinet approved the measure last month.
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.
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.