Turkish forces ‘neutralize’ 2 PKK terrorists in northern Iraq

By Gozde Bayar and Hakan Mehmet Sahin

ANKARA/EDIRNE, Türkiye (AA) - Turkish security forces “neutralized” two PKK terrorists in northern Iraq, the National Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.

The ministry said on Twitter that terrorists were targeted in an air operation as part of Turkiye’s Operation Claw-Lock in northern Iraq.

The ministry also shared footage of the anti-terror operation.

Turkish authorities use the term “neutralized” to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.

Türkiye launched Operation Claw-Lock in April to target the PKK terror organization's hideouts in northern Iraq's Metina, Zap, and Avasin-Basyan regions near the Turkish border.

It was preceded by Operations Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle launched in 2020 to root out terrorists hiding out in northern Iraq and plotting cross-border attacks in Türkiye.

Meanwhile, a suspected member of the PKK terrorist group was arrested in Türkiye while trying to escape to Greece, a security official said on Tuesday.

The suspect, identified only by the initials M.B., was caught in a restricted military zone in the northwestern province of Edirne, said the official on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.