Operation Tigris Shield

Operation Tigris Shield (Turkish: Dicle Kalkanı Harekâtı) is an ongoing cross-border operation conducted by the Turkish Armed Forces against Kurdistan Workers' Party militants in the Kurdish region of Iraq, launched on 10 March 2018.

Operation
On 10 and 11 March, the Turkish Air Force conducted air strikes on at least 18 targets in Hakurk, Zap, Metina, Gara and Avasin-Basyan. A further 8 targets were hit in the Hakurk and Zap regions on 15 March. By 16 March, Turkey had pushed 15 kilometres deep into Northern Iraq around the Gulmerk area and had destroyed 23 hideouts and killed 13 militants in the area. On 17 March, the PKK had claimed to have killed up to 18 Turkish soldiers and lost two militants in clashes near Sidikan.

41 PKK militants were killed in Turkish airstrikes on areas of the Qandil Mountains on 22 March. By 26 March, Turkish forces had solidified control of 28 villages mostly in the Barazger and Barmiza areas. On 28 March, Turkish jets bombed the Behdinan region and the villages of Sarkê, Bêzelê, Kokerê and Şankê.

On 2 April, 8 more targets in the Qandil and Harkuk regions were struck by Turkish jets. According to PKK-aligned sources, 3 Turkish soldiers were killed and five others wounded in clashes on 13 April. On 15 April, senior PKK member Birdal Burhanli was killed by Turkish forces near Kani Rash.

On October 22, 8 Turkish soldiers were killed near Lêlîkan Hill, in Sidakan area, about 100km North East of Erbil and 15 km West of Iran.