UPDATE - Turkish security forces 'neutralize' wanted terrorist

UPDATES WITH INTERIOR MINISTRY STATEMENT, MINOR EDITS

By Cankut Tasdan and Orhan Onur Gemici

ANKARA (AA) – Turkish security forces “neutralized” a wanted terrorist who had killed 16 people in the southeastern Diyarbakir province in 2016, the interior minister said on Thursday.

Suleyman Soylu took to Twitter to announce that Izzet Yigit, the perpetrator of a bomb attack in Durumlu village killing 16 people, was neutralized.

Yigit was also behind the bomb attack targeting the provincial police headquarters in the eastern Elazig province in 2016, and was on the wanted terrorists list of Turkey, Soylu added.

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

Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry said in a statement on the matter said that Yigit was among two terrorists neutralized by the local gendarmerie in the Aricak district of Elazig as part of the domestic security operations.

The statement added that Yigit, codenamed Firaz Amed, was sought with a bounty of 1 million Turkish liras (around $143,400) on his head.

The ministry earlier announced that the other terrorist neutralized was Salih Ekinci, codenamed Devrim Dervan.

Ekinci was also on Turkey's wanted terrorists list.

On May 12, 2016, PKK terrorists detonated a bomb-laden truck in the village of Durumlu in Diyarbakir’s Sur district, reportedly following an argument with a group of villagers who spotted the vehicle and began to chase it. The blast killed 16 people and injured dozens.

In its more than 30-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 nearly 40,000 people, including many women, children and infants.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar