Turkey: 52 PKK terrorists neutralized over last week

By Cankut Tasdan, Sertac Bulur, and Merve Yildizalp

ANKARA (AA) - 52 PKK terrorists were neutralized nationwide over the last week by security forces, Turkey’s Interior Ministry said Monday.

Forces launched 483 counter-terrorism operations from May 8 up until early Monday, according to an official ministry statement.

Out of 52 neutralized PKK terrorists, 38 were killed, three were captured alive, and 11 surrendered.

Also arrested were 118 for aiding and abetting the PKK, two for having suspected links to Daesh, 1,767 for having connections to FETO, and four for links to leftist terrorist groups.

Forces destroyed 49 terrorist shelters and 50 improvised explosive devices and mines planted by terrorists in the southeastern Diyarbakir, Mardin, Sirnak, southern Kahramanmaras, and eastern Bitlis, Siirt, Bingol and Erzurum provinces.

Also last week security forces seized 2,071 kilograms of materials used in explosives, 60 hand grenades, 170 weapons -- including 153 heavy or long-barreled weapons -- and over 132,000 pieces of ammunition.

Contraband confiscated over the last week includes 2,009 kg of hashish, 94 kg of heroin, 308 kg of cocaine, and 65,300 pills. Over 79,000 liters of smuggled fuel and 669,700 packages of smuggled cigarettes were seized.

Forces caught 2,330 drug traffickers in anti-drug operations.

During operations against illegal migration, 5,169 were arrested, including 155 at sea.

- 27-day Mt. Kato operation in Sirnak

Separately, the ministry also announced an ongoing counter-terrorism operation in the southeastern Sirnak province over the last 27 days.

During the operation, Turkish forces seized 432 weapons, over 148,000 pieces of ammunition, and a large amount of explosives in the province’s Beytussebap district.

According to a statement, 425 gendarmerie commandos and 450 village guards took part in the operation at Mt. Incebel (Mt. Kato) in the district.

- 1 surrenders, 1 dies in Hakkari

Meanwhile, one PKK terrorist surrendered to security officials in the southeastern Hakkari province, according to the Turkish General Staff.

An official statement said that one PKK terrorist laid down his arms in the district’s Semdinli district Sunday.

A PKK terrorist trying to plant explosives on the Erziki Bridge near the Zap Gendarmerie Station in the same province died Sunday when the explosives detonated, said the statement.

The PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- resumed its armed campaign against Turkey in July 2015.

Since then, it has been responsible for the deaths of some 1,200 Turkish security personnel and civilians, including a number of women and children.