Türkiye ‘neutralizes’ 7 PKK terrorists in northern Iraq, Syria

Turkish security forces "neutralized" seven PKK terrorists in northern regions of Iraq and Syria, the National Defense Ministry said on Friday.

Five of the terrorists were taken down by uncrewed aerial vehicles in the Operation Claw-Lock zone in northern Iraq, the ministry said in a statement.

The other two YPG/PKK terrorists were targeted in the Operation Euphrates Shield zone in northern Syria by the Turkish border, the ministry added.

Turkish authorities use the term "neutralize" to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.

PKK terrorists often hide out across the border in northern Iraq to plot terror attacks in Türkiye.

Türkiye launched Operation Claw-Lock last year in April to target the PKK terror group's hideouts in the Metina, Zap and Avasin-Basyan regions of northern Iraq, located near the Turkish border.

It was preceded by two operations-Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle-launched in 2020 to root out terrorists hiding in northern Iraq and plotting cross-border attacks in Türkiye.

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 more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK-listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the U.S. and European Union-has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. The YPG is its Syrian branch.