Two Turkish soldiers were killed in an ongoing anti-terror operation in northern Iraq, the National Defense Ministry said on Sunday.
Infantry Specialist Sergeant Omer Yildirim and Infantry Specialist Corporal Mehmet Ali Cap were fatally wounded on Saturday during Turkey’s counterterrorism Operation Claw-Lock, the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry offered condolences to the families of the soldiers and the Turkish nation.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also hailed the soldiers for their services to the country in a condolence message to their families.
- Weapons recovered
A large cache of weapons and ammunition belonging to the PKK terrorist group was seized by Turkish forces in the Operation Claw-Lock area.
Anti-aircraft weapons, rocket launchers and various types of grenades and explosives were found, along with life supplies, according to the National Defense Ministry.
Turkey launched Operation Claw-Lock in April to target the PKK terror group’s hideouts in Iraq’s northern regions of Metina, Zap and Avasin-Basyan, 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 Turkey.
- 4 terrorists ‘neutralized’ in eastern Turkey
Turkish forces “neutralized” four more PKK terrorists in the ongoing Operation Eren Abluka-2 in Turkey’s eastern province of Mus.
Drones were used to confirm the terrorists’ location and they were targeted in an air-backed operation, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said on Twitter.
Turkish authorities use the term “neutralize” to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.
Turkiye launched the Eren operations last year, named after Eren Bulbul, a 15-year-old boy killed by PKK terrorists in August 2017.
In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children and infants./aa
