ANKARA
Turkish security forces “neutralized” two PKK/YPG terrorists in northern Syria, the National Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.
The terrorists were targeted in the Operations Euphrates Shield and Peace Spring zones, the ministry said in a statement.
Turkish authorities use the term “neutralize” to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.
Türkiye stepped up its crackdown on terror groups in northern Iraq and Syria following fresh PKK attacks, which have claimed the lives of 21 Turkish soldiers.
Since 2016, Ankara has launched a trio of successful anti-terror operations across its border in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and enable the peaceful settlement of residents: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018), and Peace Spring (2019).
PKK terrorists often hide out in northern Iraq and Syria to plot cross-border attacks in Türkiye.
In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK — listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, UK, and EU — has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is PKK’s Syrian branch.
