Iran denies joint raid with Turkey against Kurd rebels

AFP  |  Tehran 

has denied a claim by the Turkish that it took part in a joint operation on Monday targeting Kurdish rebels in the border area.

"Iran's armed forces have no role in this operation," the official agency quoted an "informed source" in the general staff as saying on Monday evening.

However "will forcefully confront any group that seeks to create unrest on our country's soil," the source added.

Earlier on Monday, Turkish said: "We started staging a joint operation with against the PKK on our eastern border as of 8 am (0500 GMT)".

Soylu did not specify where the joint operation was taking place but has said previously that joint military action would focus on PKK rear bases in near where the three countries' borders meet.

The has carried out repeated bombing campaigns against PKK targets in Iraq's northern mountains during its more than three-decade campaign to crush the rebels' campaign for Kurdish self-rule in southeastern

In recent years, too has carried out operations in against suspected rear bases of the PKK's Iran-focused ally, the (PJAK).

PJAK is one of a number of Kurdish rebel groups that have fought the Iranian security forces in ethnic Kurdish districts along the border.

Another PKK ally, the People's Protection Units (YPG), is the main Kurdish armed group in where, to the fury of Ankara, it has been a key ally in the US-led campaign against the jihadists of the Islamic State group which is now drawing to a close.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Tue, March 19 2019. 14:15 IST