The Turkish Ministry of Defense announced on Monday the neutralization of six militants affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the People’s Protection Units (YPG) in northern Iraq and Syria.
In a statement reported by Turkey’s Anadolu Agency, the ministry confirmed that Turkish armed forces continue their operations against terrorists both within and beyond the country’s borders.
According to the statement, Turkish forces neutralized two PKK and YPG terrorists in the Euphrates Shield Operation area in northern Syria and four others in the Assos region of northern Iraq.
The Turkish military has conducted several operations in northern Syria in collaboration with the Syrian National Army, including the Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018), and Peace Spring (2019) operations, targeting both ISIS and PKK/YPG militants.
Additionally, the Counter-Terrorism Unit in Iraq’s Kurdistan region reported that a Turkish drone strike killed a PKK member and injured two others on Monday in northern Iraq.
The strike targeted a PKK meeting at the Makhmur refugee camp, resulting in one death and two injuries, including a senior PKK official.
Turkey has conducted frequent airstrikes targeting PKK militants in northern Iraq and maintains numerous advanced observation posts within Iraqi territory.
The PKK has been engaged in armed conflict with Ankara since 1984, initially seeking an independent Kurdish state but later shifting its goals to advocating for Kurdish rights and semi-autonomous governance in southeastern Turkey.
These operations have cleared thousands of kilometers of territory of militants, enabling the safe return of thousands of Syrians to their homes. The PKK continues to use the Qandil Mountains in northern Iraq as a stronghold, launching attacks from various cities, regions, and valleys into Turkey.
