By Gizem Nisa Cebi
ISTANBUL (AA) - PKK terrorists have escalated their attacks by blowing up ammunition depots in villages in northern Iraq, across from the Turkish border, said the Turkish National Defense Ministry on Wednesday.
"PKK terrorists now blowing up ammunition depots in villages," stated the ministry on X.
"The terrorists, who entered villages and used civilians as human shields to launch mortar attacks on Turkish forces, have begun setting forests on fire to avoid detection," it added.
According to the statement, PKK terrorists detonated depots in the villages of Dergele and Miska, and set the entire village of Dergele ablaze, "realizing they had no escape despite their despicable plans."
The ministry said the Turkish Armed Forces’ operations are carried out with great care to avoid harming "innocent civilians, the environment, and nature."
It stressed: "No matter what the terrorists do, they will not escape the fate that awaits them!"
The ministry also shared footage of these acts, showing PKK members setting fire to the ammunition depots.
The PKK often hides out in northern Iraq to plot attacks on nearby Türkiye.
In its nearly 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and the EU – has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.