Turkey ‘neutralizes’ 4 more PKK terrorists in northern Iraq

By Zehra Nur Duz

ANKARA (AA) – Turkish security forces “neutralized” four more PKK terrorists in northern Iraq, Turkey’s National Defense Ministry said on Saturday.

The terrorists were targeted by fire support vehicles and ATAK helicopters in the Operation Pence-Simsek and Operation Pence-Kaplan zones, the ministry said in a statement.

Turkish authorities often use the word neutralized in statements to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.

Turkey has carried out a series of offensives since 2019 against terrorist groups in northern Iraq, particularly the PKK. The latest ones are Pence-Simsek and Pence-Yildirim launched this April in Metina and Avasin-Basyan regions, while operations Pence-Kaplan and Pence-Kartal were initiated in June last year.

The terrorist group often uses bases in northern Iraq, just across Turkey’s southern border, to plot terror attacks in Turkey.

In its over 35-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US, and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of at least 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.