UPDATE- Turkey neutralizes 7 more PKK/YPG terrorists within, beyond borders

CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK, BYLINE; DEFENSE MINISTRY STATEMENT ADDED

By Ahmet Gencturk and Merve Berker

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish security forces on Thursday neutralized at least seven PKK terrorists in three operations in eastern Turkey plus the border regions of northern Iraq and northern Syria, where terror nests are present. ​​​​​​​

In the first operation, in the country's east, security forces “neutralized” at least three PKK terrorists, the Interior Ministry announced.

“Attempts by the terror group to infiltrate eastern Anatolia and the Black Sea region were thwarted,” said a ministry statement.

The terrorists were neutralized in the eastern Agri province as part of Operation Eren-15, an ongoing domestic anti-terror push.

Among the terrorists neutralized was the so-called provincial head of the terror group, the statement said.

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

Operations Eren, named after Eren Bulbul, a 15-year-old killed by the terrorist PKK in 2017, began in January with the aim of completely eliminating terrorism in the country.

In a separate incident, commando teams neutralized three PKK/YPG terrorists who tried to infiltrate the Operation Peace Spring zone, said the National Defense Ministry in a statement.

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

Another terrorist was neutralized in northern Iraq as part of Operation Pence-Yildirim, the ministry statement added.

Turkey launched the Pence-Simsek and Pence-Yildirim operations on April 23 in northern Iraq’s Metina and Avasin-Basyan regions near its borders.

The PKK often hides out in northern Iraq, just across Turkey's southern border, to plot terror attacks in Turkey.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of at least 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is the PKK’s Syrian branch.