Turkish warplanes have killed 38 civilians in a strike on a camp of Kurdish herdsmen in Iraq, an Iraqi Kurdish group said in a statement, quoted by The Associated Press.
A military spokesman in Turkey's capital Ankara denied the allegation, saying that Turkish planes would not attack civilian targets.
The planes attacked a camp of herdsmen and their families while pursuing Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq, the Kurdistan Democratic Party, (KDP), said in the statement.
Turkey has waged a 15-year war against Kurdish guerrillas who are demanding autonomy in southern Turkey, which borders on Iraq.
The KDP statement wasn't clear on exactly when the attack occurred, indicating it was either on Tuesday or Wednesday, said the AP, adding that the group couldn't be reached for a clarification.
The statement also said that 11 people were wounded in the alleged raid and four were missing.
The pilots had intended to strike targets of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in the northeastern border region of Iraq, the statement said.
The (PKK) declared a cease-fire early this year and the rebels began retreating from Turkey to bases in Iraq and Iran. The Turkish armed forces did not recognize the cease-fire.
In the past, KDP forces have assisted the Turkish military in operations against the PKK inside Iraq.
The KDP and the rival Patriotic Union of Kurdistan control the Kurdish zone of northern Iraq, an area whose autonomy has been protected by US and British planes since Iraqi government forces brutally put down a Kurdish revolt there in 1991, the AP added - Albawaba.com
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