By Merve Berker
ANKARA (AA) – Turkish security forces "neutralized" three PKK/YPG terrorists in northern Syria, the National Defense Ministry said on Saturday.
Terror members were taken down in zones of Operation Olive Branch and Operation Peace Spring, the ministry said on X.
Turkish soldiers continue "to respond to the harassment and attack attempts of terrorists with the same," the statement added.
Turkish authorities use the term "neutralize" to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.
PKK/YPG terrorists hide out in northern Syria, near the Turkish border, where they plan or stage attacks on both locals and security forces or settlements in Türkiye.
Since 2016, Ankara has launched a trio of successful anti-terror operations across its border in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and enable the peaceful settlement of residents:
Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018), and Peace Spring (2019).
In its more than 35-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. The YPG is its Syrian branch.