The US Central Command (CENTCOM) has praised a PKK/YPG terrorist killed in northern Syria last week.

“Salwa Yusuk (AKA Ciyan Afrin) a Deputy Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) — along with 2 fellow female fighters — was killed in an attack near Qamishli, Syria, on July 22, 2022,” CENTCOM said on Twitter on Sunday.

CENTCOM also extended condolences, praising the terrorist killed on Friday.

The YPG is the Syrian branch of the PKK, a designated terror group in the US, EU and Türkiye. US support for the YPG-dominated SDF has significantly strained relations with Ankara.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK has been responsible for the deaths of at least 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.

Since 2016, Ankara has launched a trio of successful anti-terror operations — Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018) and Peace Spring (2019) — across its border in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and enable the peaceful settlement of residents.

'Terrorists neutralised'

On Monday, authorities in Türkiye announced that security forces had "neutralised" 15 YPG/PKK terrorists, including two so-called senior members, near the Turkish border in northern Syria.

The terrorists were targeted during their attempt to “disturb the peace and security in the region”, the Turkish National Defence Ministry said on Twitter.

Turkish authorities use the term “neutralise” to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to root out terrorist organisations in Syria that threaten Türkiye's security, saying the PKK terror group also targets the territorial integrity of the war-torn country.

Source: AA