Eight PKK militants killed in Turkey’s Tunceli: Governor’s Office

TUNCELİ

Eight militants of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) were killed in a counter-terrorism operation in the eastern province of Tunceli, the local governor’s office stated on Dec. 16.

The Tunceli Governor’s Office said in a statement that eight militants were killed during a joint operation in the Pülümür district, conducted by gendarmerie commando forces and coordinated with the National Intelligence Organization (MİT).

Among the militants was Murat Dağ, codenamed “Ferhat Yılmaz,” who had been sought by security forces with the offer of a 1 million Turkish Lira ($258,000) bounty, the statement added.

Dağ was said to be in the middle (green) category of the Interior Ministry’s list of wanted militants.

The wanted list is divided into five color-coded categories, with red as the most wanted, followed by blue, green, orange and grey.

According to the statement, security forces also seized five Kalashnikov rifles, three M-16’s and a Glock weapon belonging to the militants during the operation.

Separately, the Tunceli Governor’s Office also stated that a total of 30 different regions in the rural areas of the Ovacık, Pülümür, Hozat and Nazimiye districts were declared as “special security zones” between Dec. 17 and Dec. 31 due to ongoing counter-terrorism operations.