ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey's foreign ministry says 60 security personnel belonging to the Kurdish Regional Government in Iraq who were critically wounded fighting the Islamic State group are receiving treatment in Turkey.

The ministry said in a statement released Sunday that the security personnel and their escorts were brought to public hospitals in Turkey's capital, Ankara. Turkey is covering all transportation and treatment costs.

In August, the Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government asked diplomatic missions in the Iraqi city of Erbil for help treating security personnel who had been critically injured fighting the IS group.

Turkish jets began striking IS group targets in northern Iraq this year alongside other coalition forces, and it has deployed a number of troops in the area to help train Iraqi militia who are fighting the extremist group.