Security forces clear PKK from residential areas

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey

Turkish security forces remain focused on clearing PKK terrorists from residential areas in their counter-terrorism operations in southeast Turkey.

Anti-PKK operations began after the terrorist group started its attacks in July last year in Turkey.

In 2013, Turkey launched what is publicly known as the "solution process" to end the decades-old conflict with the outlawed PKK, a dispute which has claimed the lives of more than 40,000 people over more than 30 years. However, the process broke down in 2015.

Before the process ended, PKK declared a cease-fire and vowed to lay down its weapons as well as advising its militants to leave Turkey. However, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutgolu repeatedly accused the PKK of exploiting the solution process to gather more weapons and ammunitions, and transport them into cities.

The PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the EU – resumed its 30-year armed campaign against the Turkish state in July 2015.

Since then, over 350 security personnel have been martyred and thousands of PKK terrorists killed in operations across Turkey and northern Iraq.

Apart from cleansing PPK terrorists from residential areas, Turkish Armed Forces and special police forces’ anti-terror operations are removing barricades, filling ditches, and destroying explosives. Recently, such operations were successfully completed in Diyarbakir’s Sur and Silvan districts as well as in Sirnak’s Cizre, Silopi and Idil districts.

The operations continue in Sirnak's central district, Mardin’s Nusaybin and Hakkari’s Yuksekova districts, where curfew has been declared.

So far, 476 terrorists have been killed in Sirnak, Nusaybin and Yuksekova.

Turkish security forces have eliminated 473 barricades and ditches, and destroyed 1,015 traps rigged with explosives in houses, yards and streets in three districts.

- 165 terrorists neutralized in Sirnak

During the anti-terror operation in Sirnak province, which started on March 14, 156 terrorists have been killed, 89 barricades removed, 12 ditches filled and 398 traps rigged with explosives destroyed.

- Twenty-ton explosives destroyed in Nusaybin

Turkish security forces have neutralized 185 terrorists in the district since the last curfew was declared on March 14. A total of 20-ton explosives were destroyed during the operation. About 130 barricades were also removed and 420 improvised explosive devices destroyed.

Security forces have evacuated 900 families from their homes on grounds of security concerns.

Security sources say 150 barricades and 400 traps rigged with explosives are yet to be destroyed in the district.

- 135 terrorists killed in Yuksekova

In Yuksekova, 135 terrorists have been killed, 149 barricades removed, 94 ditches filled and 197 improvised explosive devices destroyed since operations began March 13 in the district.

- About 200,000 people flee

About 200,000 people have fled their homes in Sirnak, Nusaybin and Yuksekova due to the security situation, many of them relocating to homes of their relatives in Mardin, Batman, Midyat, Van, Istanbul, Izmir, Mersin and Adana.

- Five districts cleared

Turkish security forces have successfully completed anti-terror operations in five districts, neutralizing 1,220 terrorists, including 274 in Sur and 15 in Silvan districts of Diyarbakir province, 145 in Silopi, 666 in Cizre and 120 in Idil districts of Sirnak province. They have also eliminated 2,287 barricades and ditches in these five districts, and destroyed 3,105 traps rigged with explosives.