Iraq Enraged Over Deadly Turkish Drone Strike

Iraq blamed Turkish forces on Tuesday for targeting an army vehicle and killing three Iraqi security officials in a drone attack near its northern border. According to the Iraqi government, two battalion commanders were among the dead. As a result, the Turkish defense minister’s planned Thursday visit to Baghdad was canceled by Iraq, while Iraq’s foreign ministry summoned the Turkish ambassador to file a strong protest and a “rejection [of Turkey’s] attacks and violations.” The drone strike marked the first time Iraqi soldiers were killed since Ankara launched in June its attacks on the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which it deems a terrorist group, near the Turkish-Iraqi border. Over the years, more than 40,000 people have died in the conflict between Turkey and the PKK, which demands an independent state for the millions of Kurds inhabiting the region.