Turkish jets target terrorists in northern Iraq, Syria

ANKARA

Turkish warplanes carried out strikes against targets belonging to the YPG/PKK terror group in northern Iraq and Syria, the Turkish Defense Ministry said.

The ministry announced in a statement that Operation Winter Eagle was conducted against sites in the Derik, Sinjar and Karachak regions which are used as bases.

Shelters, bunkers, caves, tunnels, ammunition depots and alleged headquarters and training camps were targeted during the strikes.

Operation Winter Eagle was launched in accordance with international law, Article 51 of the U.N. Charter and U.N. Security Council resolutions on the fight against terrorism, the ministry added.

Efforts to fight against terrorism for the security of the country and nation will decisively continue “until the last terrorist is neutralized,” the statement noted.

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

Referring to the operation, Turkey’s Communications Director Fahrettin Altun said on social media that the country’s strategy of eradicating terrorism at its source has made great contributions to border security, territorial integrity and national unity.

Ankara has mounted successive air and ground offensives targeting rear bases of the PKK that has been responsible for the deaths of at least 40,000 people since 1984.

Turkey also has a military presence in neighboring Syria, where it has seized swathes of territory in successive military operations since 2016.