UPDATE - 91 terrorists 'neutralized' in SE Turkey, N Iraq

UPDATES WITH CASUALTIES, CHANGES SPOT

By Muhammed Boztepe and Ferdi Turkten

ANKARA (AA) - A total of 91 PKK terrorists were "neutralized" in Turkey's southeastern and eastern provinces of Diyarbakir, Bitlis, Sirnak, Bingol and northern Iraq over the past week, the Turkish military said on Saturday.

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

The terrorists arrested on March 17-23 had been plotting attacks on military outposts installed at the border, a statement by the Turkish General Staff said.

During the operations, 34 guns and 29 explosives were seized and destroyed, while 6,925 undocumented migrants who were trying to enter the country were held, the statement added.

Four Turkish solders were also martyred, while 10 others sustained injuries during the operations.

The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and the EU. In over 30 years of violence against Turkey, more than 40,000 people have been killed.

The group uses northern Iraq’s mountainous border region to launch attacks on Turkey and has its main base at Mt. Qandil, near the Iraq-Iran border.