UPDATE - Turkey 'neutralizes' 5 PKK terrorists

CHANGES HEADLINE, LEDE, UPDATES WITH OPERATION IN NORTHWESTERN SYRIA

By Gozde Bayar

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish security forces neutralized a total of five PKK terrorists in separate security operations, officials said on Monday.

"Two PKK terrorists were neutralized in an air-backed operation in northern Iraq’s Zap region," the National Defense Ministry said in a statement on Twitter.

The counter-terrorism operations will continue without any let-up, the ministry added.

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

Northern Iraq is a known base of the terrorist YPG/PKK, used by its members to plan cross-border terrorist attacks against Turkey.

Separately, Turkish commandos neutralized three YPG/PKK terrorists in northwestern Syria.

"Three PKK/YPG terrorists attempting to infiltrate the Operation Peace Spring zone were successfully neutralized by our heroic command," the ministry said on Twitter.

Since 2016, Turkey has launched a trio of successful anti-terrorist operations across its border into northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and enable peaceful settlement by locals: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018), and Peace Spring (2019).

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is the PKK’s Syrian offshoot.