Turkish forces dismantle 28 PKK shelters
ANKARA
Turkish security forces destructed 28 shelters belonging to the PKK terror organization during a series of operations targeting caves and bunkers in seven out of the country's 81 provinces, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya has announced.
The operation "Heroes-47" aimed at eliminating weapons, ammunition and explosives hidden by PKK terrorists for potential actions in rural areas during the winter months, Yerlikaya wrote on X on Jan. 29.
More than 130 teams and 1,174 gendarmerie personnel were involved in the operation conducted in the mostly southeastern and eastern regions of the country, the minister said. Village guards, a paramilitary group affiliated with the ministry, joined the gendarmerie in executing the operations.
In the operations, a total of 159 kilograms of explosives, rigged and prepared for detonation, were also seized.
The confiscated materials included rocket launchers, hand grenades, rifles, improvised explosive device setups and batteries, Yerlikaya said.
Additionally, a substantial quantity of kitchen, health and survival supplies were seized along with 25 gas canisters, he noted.
“Our commitment to countering terrorism remains unwavering until the last terrorist is ‘neutralized,’ persisting with resolute determination,” Yerlikaya concluded.
Turkish authorities use the term "neutralize" to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.
The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the U.S. and the EU.
Türkiye stepped up its crackdown on terror groups both inside the country and in northern Iraq and Syria following the latest PKK attacks in recent days, claiming the lives of 21 Turkish soldiers.
