The Turkish army announced Friday it mounted a large scale military operation against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq. According to army reports and a private TV station in Turkey, about 10,000 Turkish soldiers were involved in the incursion.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hushair Zubari said his government was "unfamiliar" with any invasion of its territory by Turkish forces. An American official said the reports were "bad news," but the U.S. military said the Turkish operation was limited in scope.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak met with Turkish leaders in Ankara last week.