7 PKK terrorists surrender in SE Turkey

By Ekrem Payan

SIRNAK, Turkey (AA) – Seven terrorists have surrendered in Turkey’s southeastern Sirnak province, the governor's office said on Wednesday.

The office's statement said that six PKK terrorists, including a minor, surrendered to security forces at the Turkish-Iraqi Habur border gate after fleeing their shelters in northern Iraq.

Another terrorist surrendered to security forces at the Koycegiz Border Command in the province's Idil district.

In an operation near the Serin Valley in the village of Andac in Sirnak’s Ulusdere district, 620 rocket cartridge, 320 anti-personnel mines, and 300 articles of tank ammunition were seized by security forces, said a separate statement by the governor’s office.

The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and the EU. It has waged a terror campaign against Turkey for more than 30 years, during which more than 40,000 people have been killed. The PKK is also involved in illicit drug production, manufacture, and trafficking.

Since the group resumed its armed campaign in July 2015, more than 1,200 people, including security personnel and civilians, have lost their lives.