Türkiye neutralized seven PKK/YPG terrorists in northern Iraq and northern Syria, the National Defense Ministry said on Saturday.

“5 PKK/YPG terrorists were neutralized by our Turkish Armed Forces in the (Operation) Euphrates Shield region in northern Syria and 2 PKK terrorists in the Operation Claw-Lock zone in northern Iraq,” the ministry said on Twitter.

Türkiye launched Operation Claw-Lock in April to target the PKK terror organization’s hideouts in Iraq’s northern Metina, Zap, and Avasin-Basyan regions, near the Turkish border.

It was preceded by Operations Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle, which were launched in 2020 to root out terrorists hiding in northern Iraq and plotting cross-border attacks in Türkiye.

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).

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 over 40,000 people, including women, children and infants./aa