Turkiye neutralizes 5 PKK/YPG terrorists in northern Iraq

By Ahmet Gencturk

ANKARA (AA) – Turkiye neutralized five PKK/YPG terrorists in northern Iraq, the National Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.

The terrorists detected in the vicinity of Operation Claw-Tiger area were “successfully neutralized by commando teams,” the ministry tweeted.

Meanwhile, Turkish security forces carrying out Operation Claw-Lock in northern Iraq also seized a large number of arms and ammunition, including 20 hand grenades, three AK-47 automatic rifles, one Dragunov sniper rifle, one PKMS heavy machine gun, RPG-7 rockets, and anti-personnel mines, the ministry added.

Turkiye launched Operation Claw-Lock in April to target PKK hideouts in Iraq’s Metina, Zap and Avasin-Basyan areas.

That was preceded by Operations Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle, which were launched in 2020 to root out terrorists who hide in northern Iraq and plot cross-border attacks in Turkiye.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the US, and the European Union – has been responsible for the deaths of at least 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.