(VOVworld) – Turkey confirmed Tuesday that its ground forces crossed into Iraq in pursuit of Kurdish militants.

The PKK destroyed a police minibus near Turkey’s far eastern border hours after dozens of fighter jets attacked rebel bases

Turkish officials said the incursion was a “short-term” measure to hunt down PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) rebels. The same day, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan pledged not leave Turkey’s future to “terrorists.”
The PKK said Tuesday that it released 20 Turkish nationals, including customs officers, who were captured last August in eastern Turkey and then brought to Iraq.