World IN BRIEF : IRAQ : Battles Erupt as Turks Pursue Kurds
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
Turkish troops pursuing rebel Kurds fought fierce battles around northern Iraq’s Metina Mountain, and warplanes reportedly hit three villages at its base. Fewer than 500 Iraqi Kurds lived in the villages, and most of them had fled by Thursday. About 35,000 troops backed by tanks and warplanes are taking part in a major Turkish operation to flush out guerrillas of the Kurdistan Workers Party, which has sought autonomy for Kurds in southeastern Turkey since 1984.
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