2 key PKK militants among past week’s death toll, Turkish military says
ANKARA – Anadolu Agency
Two key outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants were among 45 PKK members who were killed over the past week, the Turkish military said on Oct. 20.
The deaths were reported during operations in Turkey’s southeast and northern Iraq, the Turkish Armed Forces said in a statement.
Operations were carried out in the Yüksekova district of the Hakkari province, Uludere district in Şırnak, Diyarbakır’s Hani and Lice districts and the Baykan district of Siirt province.
Airstrikes and a ground operation were also conducted in the Zap and Avaşin regions of northern Iraq, where PKK camps used to launch attacks on Turkey lie close to the border.
The military gave no further details on the deaths of the two key PKK militants.
Meanwhile, four PKK militants were killed in an air operation in northern Iraq on Oct. 19, according to the Turkish military.
In a statement, the Turkish General Staff said the air operation was carried out in northern Iraq’s Zap and Avaşin-Basyan region as part of Turkey’s ongoing counter-terrorism operations.
The airstrikes came after the movement of militants was detected towards the border region, the statement said.
All aircraft involved in the operation have returned safely to Turkey, it added.