The Turkish armed forces launched ground operations hunting for militants. Local officials of northern Iraq said first operations have been launched in Nazdere, Hakuruk province in Turkey-Iraq-Iran triangle. Additional forces are gathering now in Turkish provinces of Uludere, Cukurca and Semdinli bordering with Iraq.

Turkish forces continue air strikes on the terrorist camps. The planes getting off from the Diyarbakir military base launched continuous air strikes on PKK camps in Zargos mountain chain stretching from northern Iraq to Iran. Before the large-scale operations, unmanned aircrafts carried out reconnaissance flights over the terrorist camps. Local administration of northern Iraq was warned about the air and ground operations. The authorities evacuated the local population from the zone of operations.

On Wednesday, October 19, 2011, a large group of the PKK members attacked several military and police buildings and killed 24 soldiers and police officers in several locations in the predominately Kurdish Hakkari province near the Iraqi border, a day after they killed five police officers and three civilians in Bitlis province in southeastern Turkey.

Turkish troops killed 32 Kurdish militants in clashes in Cukurca Kazan valley, in Hakkari province in southeast Turkey, state-run television TRT reported on Saturday, in the third day of an offensive to avenge the deaths of 24 soldiers this week.