Turkish security forces eliminated eight terrorists in cross-border operations in northern Syria and northern Iraq, the Turkish National Defense Ministry said on Sunday.
In a statement on X, the ministry said that five PKK terrorists were “neutralized” in an air operation in the Claw-Lock Operation Zone.
Turkish authorities use the term “neutralize” to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured. PKK/YPG terrorists hide near the Turkish border in northern Syria, where they plan or stage attacks on locals and nearby settlements in Türkiye.
“Our operations against the terrorist organization PKK in northern Iraq continue without slowing down,” the ministry added.
Separately, it reported that 605 terrorists have been eliminated so far as part of the operation.
A total of 670 caves and shelters used by the terrorist organization were rendered unusable, seizing a total of 1,343 weapons and 706,650 ammunition, the ministry said.
In addition, 2,284 mines and handmade explosives set by terrorists in the region were destroyed.
Türkiye launched Operation Claw-Lock in April 2022 to target the PKK terror group’s hideouts in Iraq’s northern Metina, Zap, and Avasin-Basyan regions near the Turkish border.
It was preceded by Operations Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle, launched in 2020 to root out terrorists hiding out in northern Iraq and plotting cross-border attacks in Türkiye.
In a separate statement, the ministry said that security forces eliminated three PKK/YPG terrorists in the Operation Peace Spring Zone.
It said they will continue to take action against PKK/YPG terrorists, whose “only aim is to shed blood in the region.”
Türkiye has neutralized over 1,200 PKK/YPG terrorists since the beginning of this year, including those hiding out across the border in Iraq and northern Syria, the National Defense Ministry said Thursday.
Since January, 317 incidents and attacks have been carried out by the PKK/YPG terrorist group in areas of Türkiye’s counterterrorism operations, and 926 terrorists have been “neutralized” with the immediate response of Turkish soldiers, according to a ministry official.
Since 2016, Ankara has launched a trio of successful anti-terror operations across its border in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and enable the peaceful settlement of residents: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018) and Peace Spring (2019).
In its over 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the U.S. and the EU – has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.
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