Türkiye “neutralized” three members of the PKK terrorist group in northern Iraq, near the Turkish border, according to Turkish defense sources on Thursday.

The terrorists were targeted in the Gara region by Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) during counter-terror operations, said the sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

PKK terrorists often use northern Iraq, across the Turkish border, to hide out and plan attacks on Türkiye.

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

Mehmet Erdogan, code-named Ahmet Rubar, a senior ringleader of the organization's so-called military wing HPG in Iraq's Makhmour-Kirkuk-Sulaymaniyah region, among others was also neutralized in the operations recently intensified by the MIT in northern Iraq and Syria.

Last week, Dilbirin Kacar, code-named Rojda, who was determined to have participated in various terror acts as the assassin of the PKK/YPG terror group, was also brought to Türkiye in an operation in Syria.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.

The YPG is the PKK’s Syrian offshoot./aa