November 10, 2017•Update: November 10, 2017
By Zehra Aydin
ANKARA
A total of 115 terrorists were “neutralized” in counter-terrorism operations in Turkey and northern Iraq between Nov. 3 and Thursday, according to Turkish military Friday.
In a written statement, Turkish General Staff said two soldiers were also martyred and 15 others wounded during the operations.
The counter-terrorism operations were carried out in southeastern provinces of Sirnak’s Bestler-Dereler districts and Diyarbakir’s Lice district, and northern Iraq’s Zap and Avasin-Basyan districts.
During the operations, 115 terrorists had been neutralized while nine arms, including rifles and machine guns, two rocket launchers, two anti-personnel mines, over 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of explosives, including plastic explosives, dynamites and TNT, 178 kilograms (392 pounds) of ammonium nitrate, 22 hand grenades, 5,822 various type of small arms ammunition, two 82 millimeters mortar ammunition, 11 RPG-7 rocket-propelled grenades, eight RPG-7 propelling cartridge, 63 fuses, 64 magazines, two walkie-talkies, two binoculars and 52 tubes were seized.
Also, 21 improvised explosives were destroyed in controlled detonations. In addition, 75 weapon emplacements, shelters, caves and depots used by terrorist organization were destroyed.
Operations were also being carried out against illegal trafficking and drugs, which are terrorist organization’s important financial revenue. As a result, 254,950 packets of smuggled cigarettes and 800 liters of liquid, more than 1,000 kilograms (2,204 pounds) of hashish, including powdered form, and 101 kilograms (222 pounds) of narcotics were seized.
Also, 10,039 people were detained when they tried to cross the border illegally.
More than 1,200 people, including security force personnel and civilians, have lost their lives since the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and EU -- resumed its decades-old armed campaign in July 2015.
