( CNN ) -- Turkey 's military said it killed at least 15 rebels in operations in northern Iraq earlier this week , but a spokesman for the Iraqi Kurdish Regional Security Forces denied the report , saying Turkey has not conducted any military operation or air assault there in the past two weeks . Turkish troops patrol near the border with Iraq during an offensive in February . A statement posted on the Turkish armed forces ' official Web site said a group of PKK , or members of the Kurdistan Workers ' Party , was identified in northern Iraq , and said the group was believed to be planning an attack and trying to leak through the border into Turkey . The PKK , labeled a terrorist group by Turkey , the United States and the European Union , is comprised of militants who have been launching attacks against Turkey from bases in northern Iraq . The Turkish military said the PKK group `` came under fire by long-range weapons '' on Thursday , and 15 terrorists were killed . The same region was targeted by a Turkish air assault on Friday , the military said , adding that the number of casualties was not yet available . `` In the missions , only the places that were confirmed to belong to the terrorist group were targeted , '' the military statement said . `` Turkish armed forces acted with utmost sensitivity in order to avoid any negative impact of the strikes on the civilians in the region . '' However , Jabbar Yawer , a spokesman for the Iraqi Kurdish Regional Forces , said no air assault was conducted Thursday or Friday , and added that no operations have been conducted in northern Iraq for the past two weeks . The PKK has spent two decades fighting for autonomy for Kurds in southeastern Turkey , with some of its attacks launched from inside Iraq » . The Iraqi government opposes the PKK 's presence , but views a Turkish military incursion as a violation of its sovereignty . E-mail to a friend . CNN Turk 's Begum Donmez and CNN 's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report .
Turkey : 15 rebels in operations in northern U.S. Friday . Says Kurdistan Workers ' Party ( PKK ) members trying to get into Turkey . Iraqi Kurdish Regional Security Forces denies the report , says no operation . PKK , labeled a terrorist group by U.S. , PKK , has attacked Turkey from PKK .