UPDATE - 5 terrorists ‘neutralized’ in Turkey’s east, southeast

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By Duygu Yener and Sefa Sahin

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish security forces "neutralized" a total of five terrorists in the country's eastern and southeastern provinces, the Interior Ministry said Tuesday.

Turkish authorities often use the word "neutralized" in statements to imply terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.

The Interior Ministry said the provincial Gendarmerie Special Command conducted an internal security operations in southeastern Diyarbakir and Mardin provinces.

Two armed terrorists were “neutralized” in the Gorese region of Diyarbakir province, while in the Artuklu district of Mardin, a terrorist, codenamed Azad, a so-called "manager" in the province, was “neutralized” by provincial police and gendarmerie forces.

Separately, the Interior Ministry said in a statement that two terrorists were neutralized in Gurpinar district of eastern Van province.

The operations in the region are ongoing, the statement added.

Though the statement did not mention a specific terrorist group, Turkey has long been conducting operations against the PKK terrorist group in the region.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union -- has been responsible for the deaths of nearly 40,000 people, including many women, children and infants.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar and Burak Bir.