The Turkish Ministry of Defense announced on Saturday, June 15, 2024, that Turkish military forces have conducted airstrikes in northern Iraq and northern Syria.
According to the ministry, these operations resulted in the elimination of 17 members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
The Turkish military reported that eight PKK fighters were killed in the Hakurk region of northern Iraq.
Additionally, the defense ministry stated that nine militants were neutralized in Syria in the areas of Operation Euphrates Shield and Operation Peace Spring.
Earlier reports indicated that the Turkish armed forces had neutralized 16 PKK members in operations across Iraq and Syria.
The PKK, considered a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union, has been engaged in an armed struggle against the Turkish state since 1984.
The conflict has led to tens of thousands of deaths.
Turkey regularly conducts military operations against PKK positions in northern Iraq and Syria, where the group has established bases.
Operation Euphrates Shield and Operation Peace Spring are part of Turkey’s ongoing efforts to secure its borders and eliminate perceived terrorist threats.
Operation Euphrates Shield, launched in August 2016, aimed to clear ISIS and PKK-linked groups from the Turkish-Syrian border.
Operation Peace Spring, initiated in October 2019, targeted Kurdish militias in northern Syria to establish a “safe zone” and resettle Syrian refugees.
