More on Turkey and Iran shelling PKK in Kurdish Iraq

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I've been getting a lot of Google hits on this post, which mentioned somewhat ominous developments regarding Turkey, Iran, and Kurdish Iraq. Apparently, the shells are flying. A Kurdish guerilla group, the PKK, operates out of Kurdish Iraq and both Turkey and Iran are apparently taking their fight across the border. Here's the Turkish Weekly:
Tuesday , 22 August 2006

Kubilay ATASOYU, Ankara, JTW - Artillery shells fired from Iran landed in the PKK armed bases in Northern Iraq. It is reported that many PKK militants were killed and many more were wounded. At the same time Turkish Army has been bombing the bases. Turkish military is sharing intelligence on the PKK in the region with Iran. The PKK is a terrorist organization according to the Turkish, Iranian, American and European laws.
Following the recent killing one of the top commanders of the Iranian security forces by the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), the PKK's name in Iran, Iran has escalated its attacks on Qandil (Kandil) mountains. The PKK has at least 10 camps in and around Qandil region. Turkey has also bombed the region.

The PKK has had armed training and military camps in Northern Iraq for the years. The US promised to remove all of these camps during the Iraq war, yet no concrete step has been taken. Turks blamed the US of not combating against the PKK terrorism. Turkish security expert Prof. Dr. Ihsan Bal argues that the PKK issue undermines Turkey-US relations.
For an interesting view of what it's like in Kurdish Iraq, take a look at Michael J. Totten's excellent writeup of his visit there (he's also guest blogging at Sullivan's site). From the sound of things, it's pretty under control there, but they do it via massive ethnic profiling. And they're just waiting for an opportunity to declare independence, which could make things with Turkey and Iran messier very quickly.

Update: The New York Times mentions this violence in their Iraq coverage from yesterday:
SULAIMANIYA, Iraq, Aug. 19 — Artillery shells fired from Iran have landed in remote northern villages of Iraqi Kurdistan in the past four days and have killed at least two civilians and wounded four others, a senior Kurdish official said Saturday. Dozens of families have fled the region.

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