Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced on Thursday the neutralisation of five terrorists, including four who were on the wanted list, in the eastern and southeastern provinces of Ağrı and Batman.
According to the Turkish news agency Anadolu, Yerlikaya stated on the platform “X” (formerly Twitter) that “units of the special gendarmerie forces, commando teams, and security guards clashed with terrorists in the rural areas of the Hasan Keyf district in Batman and Doğubayazıt in Ağrı.”
He noted that “the operations were supported by aircraft from the air force, attack helicopters, and armed drones.”
The Interior Minister specified that the operations resulted in the neutralization of five terrorists affiliated with the separatist terrorist organization, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Yerlikaya detailed that “one of the terrorists neutralised in the rural area of Doğubayazıt was listed on the Interior Ministry’s red notice of wanted terrorists. His name was Yılmaz Öner, also known as ‘Şehmus Malazgirt.'”
He added that “Öner was responsible for issuing orders for 18 terrorist acts that resulted in the martyrdom of 27 security personnel and four civilians, as well as the injury of 68 others.”
Additionally, Yerlikaya mentioned that “the three terrorists listed on the orange notice were neutralised in the rural area of Hasan Keyf.
They had previously participated in terrorist operations that led to the death of one security officer and the injury of two others.”
Turkey‘s Interior Minister congratulated the air force personnel, gendarmerie, and security guards who executed the operations.
Last month, Iraq’s National Security Advisor, Qasim Al-Araji, reiterated his country’s firm stance on not allowing its territory to be used as a launch pad for terrorist and banned groups that pose a threat to the security of both the country and the region.
The statement was made during a meeting with the Turkish Ambassador to Baghdad, Ali Riza Guney, where they discussed enhancing relations and ongoing constructive cooperation on mutual interests between the two neighbouring nations.
