2008 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq

The 2008 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq, code-named Operation Sun by the Turkish Armed Forces, began on February 21, 2008, when the Turkish Army sent troops into northern Iraq to target the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The ground offensive was preceded by Turkish Air Force bombardments of PKK camps in northern Iraq, which began on December 16, 2007. It was the "first confirmed ground incursion" of Iraq since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. Initial reports indicated that up to 10,000 troops had taken part in the operation, although the Kurdistan Regional Government and the Multi-National Force – Iraq claimed only a few hundred troops were involved. Background In October 2007, Turkish jets and ground forces clashed with PKK forces in Turkey and over the border into northern Iraq. Winter bombing campaign Turkey launched its first cross-border raid on December 16, 2007, involving 50 fighter jets. A Turkish military statement said that up to 175 militants were killed on that day alone, while Iraqi officials reported that the strikes had targeted 10 villages and killed one civilian. The PKK reported seven deaths.