Turkish military says 152 PKK targets hit since Aug. 17 in Iraq

A statement released on the General Staff's website said all strikes hit that mark and that all targets were destroyed. “The northern part of Iraq will be closely followed in terms of the activities of the separatist terrorist organization in that region and the air offensive will continue when new targets are set,” the statement said.

PKK terrorists use the mountains of northern Iraq as a sanctuary from which to launch attacks on southeastern Turkey. The raids, the first conducted by Turkey in the area since July 2010, were in response to a surge in PKK actions in recent months.

The Turkish General Staff earlier released images of the military's offensive against the PKK in northern Iraq. The images show laser-guided bombs hitting PKK targets such as depots, hiding places and anti-aircraft stations. The military has insisted that all targets were carefully pinpointed through repeated reconnaissance flights before being hit and that the military had taken the necessary precautions to avoid civilian casualties.

The PKK recently stepped up its terrorists attacks in the past few months and killed more than 50 people, including civilians. More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict between the state and PKK, which took up arms in 1984. The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.