UPDATE - Turkey ‘neutralizes’ 9 PKK terrorists in northern Iraq

UPDATES WITH NUMBER OF NEUTRALIZED TERRORISTS, CHANGES DECK, EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Seda Sevencan, Gozde Bayar and Baris Gundogan

ISTANBUL / ANKARA (AA) – Turkey “neutralized” at least nine PKK terrorists in northern Iraq, authorities and sources said on Thursday.

Four PKK terrorists were “neutralized” in the Hakurk region in a joint air operation by Turkey’ National Intelligence Organization and military, the National Defense Ministry said.

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

Meanwhile, four more PKK terrorists were “neutralized” in the area of Operation Pence-Simsek, Turkey’s cross-border anti-terror offensive in northern Iraq, the ministry said on Twitter.

Separately, the Turkish intelligence “neutralized” Ozcan Yildiz, another PKK terrorist, in an operation in the Gara region of northern Iraq, security sources said.

The terrorist, codenamed Doktor Rodi, was among those who plotted an attack in Turkey’s southeastern Hakkari province in 2012, which left eight soldiers dead.

Yildiz, who joined the PKK terrorist group in 1999, involved in terrorist acts in Turkey for many years. He fled to northern Iraq in 2013 and operated in regions such as Qandil, Zap, Avasin, and Sincar.

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

The Pence operations are a series of offensives Turkey has carried out since 2019 against terrorist organizations in northern Iraq, particularly the PKK.

Operations Pence-Kaplan and Pence-Kartal were initiated in June last year in Iraq’s Haftanin, Sinjar and Zap regions, while Pence-Simsek and Pence-Yildirim were launched this April in Metina and Avasin-Basyan regions.

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.