Turkey’s National Defense Ministry said on Saturday that Turkish security forces “neutralized” at least 18 PKK terrorists as part of the country’s Operation Claw-Lock in northern Iraq.
Adding that Turkish forces are determined to continue fighting terrorists, the ministry said the operation was carried out by combat drones in terror zones in the region.
The term “neutralize” is used by Turkish authorities to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.
Footage of the anti-terror operation has also been shared by the ministry.
Last month, in order to target PKK hideouts in northern Iraq’s Metina, Zap, and Avasin-Basyan regions, Turkey launched Operation Claw-Lock. The aforementioned operation is preceded by the Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle operations, which were launched in 2020 to root out terrorists who hide in northern Iraq and plot cross-border attacks in Turkey.
The PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US, and the EU, has been responsible for the deaths of at least 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants, in its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkey.
