ANKARA 

Turkey neutralized at least seven more PKK terrorists in air-backed operations in northern Iraq, the National Defense Ministry said on Friday.

Two terrorists were neutralized in the Metina region, the ministry said on Twitter, adding the total number of terrorists neutralized in the past two days in the region has reached four.

Separately, the ministry on social media said Turkish forces also neutralized five PKK terrorists by ATAK helicopters in the Operation Pence-Simsek zone at northern Iraq.

Sharing footage of operations, the ministry said operations against terrorists in northern Iraq are ongoing.

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

The PKK terror group often hides out in northern Iraq, just across Turkey's southern border, to plot terror attacks in Turkey.

The Pence operations are a series of offensives Turkey has carried out since 2019 against terrorist organizations in northern Iraq, particularly the PKK.

Operations Pence-Kaplan and Pence-Kartal were initiated in June last year, while Pence-Simsek and Pence-Yildirim were launched this April in Iraq’s Metina and Avasin-Basyan regions.

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