Türkiye ‘neutralizes’ 4 PKK/YPG terrorists in northern Iraq, Syria

ANKARA

Turkish security forces “neutralized” four PKK/YPG terrorists in northern Syria and northern Iraq, Türkiye’s National Defense Ministry announced Sunday.

Three PKK/YPG terrorists were targeted in the Operation Claw-Lock zone in northern Iraq, while one was neutralized in the Operation Peace Spring zone in northern Syria, the ministry said on X.

The term “neutralize” is used by Turkish authorities to indicate that the terrorists were killed, captured, or surrendered.

PKK terrorists frequently hide in northern Iraq to plan cross-border attacks against Türkiye. To combat this threat, Türkiye launched Operation Claw-Lock in 2022, targeting PKK hideouts in northern Iraq’s Metina, Zap, and Avasin-Basyan regions.

In northern Syria, Türkiye has carried out a series of successful anti-terror operations since 2016, including Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018), and Peace Spring (2019), to prevent the establishment of a terror corridor and ensure the peaceful settlement of local residents.

The PKK, which has waged a 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye, is classified as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and the EU. The YPG is the Syrian offshoot of the PKK.

Since the fall of the Assad regime, the PKK/YPG has attempted to exploit regional instability to create a “terror corridor” along the border with Türkiye.

• Northern Iraq
• Northern Syria
• Operation Claw-Lock
• PKK/YPG
• Terrorist
• Turkiye