Operations Claw-Lightning and Thunderbolt

{{Short description|Turkish military incursion}}

{{Infobox military conflict

| conflict = Operations Claw-Lightning and Thunderbolt

| image =

| caption =

| status =

| partof = the Kurdish–Turkish conflict

| place = Metina, Zap and Avashin Basyan regions, Duhok and Erbil Governorate, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

| date = 23 April 2021 – 17 April 2022
({{Age in months, weeks and days|month1=04|day1=23|year1=2021|month2=04|day2=17|year2=2022}})

| combatant1 = {{flag|Turkey}}

{{flagicon|Iraqi Kurdistan}} Kurdistan Region (from 6 June 2021)

| combatant2 = {{flagicon image|Flag of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).svg}} Kurdistan Workers' Party

| units1 = {{flagicon|Turkey}} Turkish Armed Forces

Ministry of the Interior

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  • {{flagicon|Iraqi Kurdistan}} Zeravani
  • {{flagicon|Iraqi Kurdistan}} Asayish

| units2 = {{flagicon image|Flag_of_Koma_Civakên_Kurdistanê.svg}} KCK

  • {{flagicon image|Flag_of_Hêzên_Parastina_Gel.svg}} HPG

| result =

| commander1 = {{flagicon|Turkey}} Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

{{flagicon|Turkey}} Hasan Küçükakyüz

{{flagicon|Turkey}} Ali Özmen

{{flagicon|Turkey}} Hulusi Akar

{{flagicon|Turkey}} Yaşar Güler

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{{flagicon|Iraqi Kurdistan}} Nechirvan Barzani

| map_mark =

| commander2 = {{flagicon image|Flag of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).svg}} Cemîl Bayik

{{flagicon image|Flag_of_Hêzên_Parastina_Gel.svg}} Murat Karayılan

{{flagicon image|Flag of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).svg}} Sofi Nurettin{{KIA}}{{cite news |title=Erdogan: High-ranking PKK militant killed in Iraq operation |url=https://apnews.com/article/iraq-middle-east-europe-government-and-politics-4eba56913189579a052c0e7a6bc193a7 |access-date=8 June 2021 |publisher=Associated Press |date=7 May 2021}}

| territory =

| campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Turkish–Kurdish conflict}}

| strength1 = {{flagicon|Turkey}}

Unknown personnel
50 aircraft including{{cite news |last1=Ergan |first1=Uğur |last2=Altuncu |first2=Özgür |title=Komandolar Kuzey Irak'ta |url=https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/komandolar-kuzey-irakta-41796352 |access-date=30 April 2021 |publisher=Hürriyet |date=25 April 2021}}

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{{flagicon|Iraqi Kurdistan}} Unknown

| strength2 = {{flagicon image|Flag of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).svg}} Unknown

| casualties1 = {{flagicon|Turkey}} 21 killed (per Turkey)7 killed (23 April–3 May),[https://www.trthaber.com/haber/gundem/pencede-biri-sozde-bolge-sorumlusu-7-terorist-etkisiz-hale-getirildi-577720.html] 1 killed (9 May),[https://www.ntv.com.tr/turkiye/pence-yildirim-harekat-bolgesinde-yaralanan-asker-sehit-oldu,fjP6rD2zkkSc6xk-vMiABQ] 1 killed (14 May),[https://www.ntv.com.tr/turkiye/pence-simsek-harekati-bolgesinde-1-asker-sehit-oldu,8tRPqX0Q30SjsFM74bx9NQ] 1 killed (23 May),[https://www.trthaber.com/haber/gundem/pence-yildirim-harekatinda-bir-asker-sehit-oldu-582939.html] 1 killed (6 June),[https://www.trthaber.com/haber/gundem/pence-yildirim-harekatinda-bir-asker-sehit-oldu-586558.html] 2 killed (28 July),[https://www.dailysabah.com/politics/war-on-terror/2-turkish-soldiers-killed-1-injured-in-pkk-attack-in-n-iraq] 4 killed (16 August),[https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/16/three-turkish-soldiers-killed-in-explosion-in-northern-iraq] 1 killed (12 September),[http://www.news.cn/english/2021-09/13/c_1310183738.htm] 3 killed (9 December),[https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/12/9/turkey-hits-pkk-targets-in-iraq-after-three-turkish-troops-killed] total of 21 reported killed

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{{flagicon|Iraqi Kurdistan}} 6 killed
7 wounded
2 captured{{cite news |title=العراق.. مقتل وإصابة 10 من قوات البيشمركة في هجوم دهوك- (تغريدة) |url=https://www.alquds.co.uk/العراق-مقتل-وإصابة-10-من-قوات-البيشمركة/ |access-date=8 June 2021 |publisher=Al Quds |date=6 June 2021}}{{cite news |title=استشهاد مقاتل في البيشمركة بيد "العمال الكوردستاني" |url=https://www.kurdistan24.net/ar/story/23309-استشهاد-مقاتل-في-البيشمركة-بيد-"العمال-الكوردستاني" |access-date=8 June 2021 |publisher=Kurdistan 24 |date=8 June 2021}}

| casualties2 = {{flagicon image|Flag of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).svg}} 142 killed or captured (per Turkey){{cite web | url=https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/gundem/teror-yuvalarina-pence-darbesi/2743808# | title=Terör yuvalarına 'Pençe' darbesi }}

| casualties3 =

| notes =

}}

Claw-Lightning and Claw-Thunderbolt ({{langx|tr|Pençe-Şimşek ve Pençe-Yıldırım Operasyonları}}) were Turkish Armed Forces cross border military operations in northern Iraq. The operations took place in the Metina, Zap and Avashin-Basyan regions against Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) targets, as part of the ongoing Kurdish–Turkish conflict.

Operations

The operations began on the evening of 23 April 2021, with air and howitzer strikes targeting PKK positions in Northern Iraq. In the following hours of the strikes Turkish paratroopers and commandos airdropped from Chinook and Black Hawk helicopters to the points of Metina, Zap and Avashin-Basyan regions. Turkish Defense Ministry announced the "neutralization" of 142 militants and the destruction of 500 targets while announcing 12 killed of their own.{{cite news |title=Son dakika haberi MSB: Pençe operasyonlarında 142 terörist öldürüldü |url=https://www.haberturk.com/son-dakika-haberi-msb-pence-operasyonlarinda-142-terorist-olduruldu-3088420 |access-date=8 June 2021 |agency= |publisher=Haber Turk|date=30 May 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://www.islamtimes.org/en/news/936870/a-turkish-soldier-killed-in-northern-iraq|title=A Turkish Soldier Killed in Northern Iraq|work=Islam Times Indonesia|date=7 June 2021}}

Clashes between PKK and Peshmerga

On 6 June 2021, clashes occurred between Peshmerga and PKK resulting in the deaths of 5 Peshmerga. On 8 June 2021, 2 Peshmerga were kidnapped by PKK while another one was killed.

Civilian impact

The operation is known to have impact on civilians, fleeing the operation area.{{Cite web|title=No Return: The Civilian Impact of Turkey's Operation Claw-Lightning|url=https://cptik.org/reports-1/civilian-impacts-claw-lightning|access-date=2021-06-05|website=Christian Peacemaker Teams - Iraqi Kurdistan|date=3 June 2021 |language=en-US}}

See also

References