Turkish jets ‘neutralize’ 41 PKK militants in northern Iraq

ANKARA – Anadolu Agency

A total of 41 outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants were “neutralized” during an air operation on March 22 in northern Iraq, the Turkish army said on March 27.

Turkish authorities often use the word “neutralized” in their statements to imply that the militants in question either surrendered or were killed or captured.

The Turkish General Staff said in a statement that members of the PKK, who were plotting an attack on Turkish forces, were neutralized in northern Iraq’s Qandil region.

Airstrikes on PKK targets in northern Iraq, where the PKK has its main base in Mt. Qandil region near the Iranian border, have been carried out regularly since July 2015, when peace talks between the PKK and Turkey collapsed.

23 PKK militants ‘neutralized in last 24 hours across Turkey’

Turkish security forces “neutralized” 23 PKK militants in anti-terror operations in the last 24 hours, the country’s Interior Ministry announced on March 27.

According to the statement issued by the Interior Ministry, 11 PKK militants were neutralized in the southern Hatay province’s Amanos Mountains, seven in the eastern Tunceli province and three more in the southeastern Mardin province

Two PKK militants were neutralized in the Sason district of the southeastern Batman province.

According to the Tunceli Governor’s Office, gendarmerie security units began air-supported operations against the PKK in the Pülümür district on March 27.

The Tunceli-Pülümür-Erzincan highway was closed to traffic due to security reasons.

The operations in the region were reported to have continued on March 27, with additional units sent to the area.

Meanwhile, Hatay Governor Erdal Ata announced on March 27 that one soldier succumbed to his wounds after being wounded in the operation in the Amanos Mountains the previous day.

“Unfortunately, toward this morning [March 27], one of our soldiers died after being shot by an injured terrorist. May God rest our martyred soldier’s soul in peace. We offer condolences to his family and relatives. That terrorist [who killed the soldier] has also been killed,” Ata told journalists in front of the İskendurun State Hospital, where the soldier was being treated.