22 PKK militants ‘neutralized’ in Turkey’s southeast

ANKARA – Anadolu Agency

At least 22 outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants were “neutralized” during counterterrorism operations in southeastern Turkey, the Interior Ministry and the army said on July 6.

Turkish authorities often use the word “neutralized” in their statements to imply the militants in question either surrendered or were killed or captured.

In a statement, the Interior Ministry said 15 PKK militants were neutralized in operations conducted in the Mardin, Şırnak and Hakkari provinces.

Two were neutralized in Mardin, eight in Şırnak and five in Hakkari, the statement added.

Operations are ongoing in Mardin, it added.

Separately, in a message posted on its official Twitter account, the Turkish General Staff said seven PKK militants had been neutralized in a rural area of the Hakkari province.

Fighter jets conducted airstrikes on July 5-6 in a rural area of Hakkari.