Turkish airstrikes hit 71 PKK targets in northern Iraq, Syria

ANKARA

Turkish forces have conducted airstrikes on 71 PKK targets in northern Iraq and Syria, and “neutralized” 59 terrorists, Defense Minister Yaşar Güler has announced.

"Our 12 heroic soldiers were martyred in the Claw-Lock Operation zone on Dec. 22 and 23. In response to these attacks, we carried out air operations on a total of 71 targets in northern Iraq and Syria," Güler said in an online conference on Dec. 27.

"A total of 59 terrorists were ‘neutralized’ through airstrikes, clashes and other means."

"As we have consistently emphasized, our fight against terrorism will continue until the last terrorist is neutralized," he noted.

On the same day, another statement from the Defense Ministry announced that four PKK terrorists involved an attack attempt were also “neutralized.”

The National Intelligence Organization (MİT) also “neutralized” a senior PKK terrorist in northern Iraq, according to a statement by the security sources on Dec. 27.

The intel discovered the location of Zeynep Eyveri, codenamed Aryen Are, in the rural Penjavin region of Iraq’s Sulaymaniyah city.

Eyveri was responsible for actions of female terrorists along the Iran-Iraq border.

The terrorist, who was plotting an attack against military bases in northern Iraq, was “neutralized” by Turkish intelligence before she carried out the attack.

The Turkish intel operation came after another large-scale airstrike operation in which teams destroyed approximately 50 PKK facilities and targeted senior terrorist members in several Syrian cities on Dec. 26.

MİT, which targets the infrastructure and mobility of the PKK, discovered that all materials used by the terrorist organization were produced in its facilities in Syria.

Subsequent to the gathered information, infrastructure facilities that the terrorist organization had been using were destroyed, including several headquarters, critical campuses and facilities, in addition to senior members of the organization.

Security sources highlighted that MİT will continue its operations in Syria and Iraq.

The PKK is internationally recognized as a terrorist organization and is listed as such by Türkiye, the United States, and the European Union.

The term "neutralize" is frequently used by the Turkish military and officials to denote that the terrorists in question have either surrendered, been killed or captured during operations.