New operation launched against PKK in Turkey’s east

ISTANBUL

Turkish security forces have launched a new domestic counterterrorism operation called “Eren Winter-20” against the PKK terrorist group in the southeastern province of Mardin.

A total of 585 security personnel, including gendarmerie forces and operational teams, will take part in Operation Eren Winter-20, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Twenty terrorists have been eliminated and 348 caves, shelters and depots have been destroyed so far in 19 different domestic counterterrorism operations as part of ongoing Eren-Winter campaign, the ministry announced.

Meanwhile, security forces have killed 22 terrorists of the PKK terrorist group’s Syrian branch, the YPG, in northern Syria in the last two days.

The terrorists were targeted while preparing to carry out attacks in the Operation Peace Spring and Euphrates Shield zones, the ministry said on Twitter.

They attempted to infiltrate the counterterrorism operation zones and opened harassing fire, according to the statement.

The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) regularly conducts cross-border operations in northern Syria, a region where PKK/YPG terrorists have hideouts and bases from where they carry out attacks against Turkey.