December 22, 2007

Turkey has launched fresh air strikes across the border into northern Iraq against Kurdish rebels, the army says.

Aircraft have been attacking positions held by the rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), according to the army's official website.

Turkish airstrikes earlier this month were followed by the incursion of several hundred Turkish soldiers across the border into Iraq.

Turkey says the PKK is using bases in Iraq to launch attacks on Turkey.

The bombing lasted for half an hour and was followed by shelling from inside the Turkish border, army officials said.

Turkish military officials pledged to continue operations "no matter how the conditions are", the Associated Press news agency quoted the statement as saying.

Turkish officials said the PKK "suffered heavy losses in terms of its infrastructure and its human resources," during the military operation earlier this month.

Iraqi officials said the air strikes on December 16 targeted 10 villages and killed one woman, while the PKK reported seven deaths.