Türkiye neutralises several PKK terrorists in northern Iraq, northern Syria

Turkish security forces “neutralised” 11 terrorists in northern Iraq and northern Syria, the National Defence Ministry has said.

“Our heroic Turkish Armed Forces neutralised 10 PKK terrorists in the Operation Claw-Lock area in northern Iraq and one PKK/YPG terrorist identified in the Operation Euphrates Shield region in northern Syria,” the ministry said on X on Sunday.

"For terrorists, no where is safe," says the ministry.

Turkish authorities use the term “neutralise” to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organisation by Türkiye, the US, and the EU – has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.

PKK terrorists often hide out in northern Iraq to plot cross-border attacks in Türkiye.

The YPG is the PKK’s Syrian offshoot.

Türkiye launched Operation Claw-Lock in April 2022 to target the PKK terror organisation's hideouts in Iraq's northern Metina, Zap, and Avasin-Basyan regions near the Turkish border.

Ankara has launched a trio of successful anti-terror operations since 2016 across its border in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a PKK/YPG terror corridor and enable the peaceful settlement of residents: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018) and Peace Spring (2019).