The Turkish Ministry of Defense announced the killing of a fifth soldier in clashes with militants of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) during the past two days in northern Iraq.

The Turkish Defense Ministry stated in a statement today, Friday, that Sergeant Agha Suleiman Ghorajeh died of his wounds sustained during the confrontations with the PKK militants yesterday in northern Iraq.

The Turkish Defense Ministry announced yesterday, Thursday, the killing of Lieutenant Fatih Ugur Altin Bash, Sergeant Kemal Ozak, Mustafa Cesar, and the soldier Mahmoud Ochadag, after their unit stationed in northern Iraq, in charge of claw lock operations, was attacked by armed men affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers Party.

The Turkish defense stated in its statement yesterday that 3 soldiers were also injured during an exchange of fire with the Kurdish militants.

It is noteworthy that the Turkish defense had announced earlier the killing of seven officers and 38 soldiers in its operations against the PKK militants in northern Iraq, bringing what the Turkish defense officially announced in terms of the losses of the Turkish army in what it called " claw lock " operations, killing seven officers and 39 soldiers and wounding 43 others since it began its operations on the eighteenth of April of last year.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency