ANKARA

Turkey launched Operation Kapan-2 to eliminate terrorists in the country’s south, the Interior Ministry announced on Sunday.

The gendarmerie command launched the counter-terrorism operation in the rural area of Hatay province, the ministry said in a statement.

A total of 623 security personnel, including gendarmerie and police forces, are taking part in the operation.

So far, a three-room shelter and three depots have been identified and an improvised explosive device and a large quantity of daily use items have been destroyed.

With Turkey ramping up its fight against terrorists, it launched on Saturday Operation KAPAN to eliminate terrorists in the southeastern Mardin province, after completing Operation Kiran in the country's southeast against YPG/PKK terrorists.

On Aug. 17, Turkey launched Operation Kiran in the country's southeast against YPG/PKK terrorists in the Van, Hakkari and Sirnak provinces, followed by 10 more iterations of the operation, including operations Kiran-10 and Kiran-11.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is the PKK's Syrian branch.