The Turkish military eliminated five terrorists from the PKK’s Syrian offshoot YPG who opened fire and were attempting to infiltrate the area controlled by the military in northern Syria, the Defense Ministry said Saturday.

In a statement posted on Twitter, the ministry said the terrorists opened harassment fire on Turkish troops and tried to enter the Operation Peace Spring zone.

Turkey carried out Operation Peace Spring in 2019 against the YPG/PKK in northern Syria's Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ain regions to prevent a terror corridor from being created along its southern border, as well as to bring peace and stability to the region.

After the completion of the operation, Turkish officials focused on ensuring the security of the region and creating the necessary conditions for the return of civilians displaced by terrorism.

Thanks to Turkey's major contributions to health, education and other services, life has returned to normal and the population of the region now numbers 250,000. The atmosphere of trust and stability provided in the Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ain districts in the Operation Peace Spring region has distanced both districts from the chaos of the war./agencies