PKK sets fire to north Iraq village, says Defense Ministry

ANKARA

The PKK has blown up ammunition depots in the villages of Dergele and Miska in northern Iraq, the Defense Ministry said on July 3.

"Disregarding the lives of villagers, the terrorists blew up the ammunition depots and completely set fire to the village of Dergele," the ministry said in a written statement.

It added that PKK members in the region had been "using civilians as human shields to fire mortar shells at our troops and then set fire to forests to make them untraceable."

Later in the day, the ministry issued another statement saying that six PKK members had been "neutralized" in northern Iraq.

Turkish authorities use the term "neutralize" to indicate that the individuals in question have either surrendered, been killed or captured.

The PKK is designated as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States and the European Union.