Turkish jets bomb PKK bases in northern Iraq

Turkey's military said Thursday its warplanes successfully attacked 60 bases belonging to Kurdish separatist rebels in northern Iraq.

The operation came a day after the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, killed nine Turkish troops in a roadside bomb attack in the district of Cukurca, in Hakkari province, close to the Iraqi border.

According to the BBC, a Turkish military statement said it would press ahead with its cross-border raids until the rebels were "rendered ineffective".

The warplanes hit suspected rebel targets in the mountainous region near the Iraqi-Turkish border late Wednesday. Strikes were also carried out on Mount Qandil, along the Iraqi-Iranian border.

The Guardian reported that Mount Qandil is where PKK leaders are believed to be hiding.

(Read more on GlobalPost in Istanbul: Turkey's Kurds step up demands for reform)

The Turkish military said its aircraft returned safely to their bases following the mission.

Fourteen soldiers were injured in Wednesday's attack — one of the deadliest for the Turkish army since violence escalated in July, casting doubt on the possibility of peace talks.