ANKARA 

Turkey has neutralized three terrorists, who martyred a police officer on Saturday, in an operation carried out in the country’s southeast, the Interior Ministry said on Sunday.

The ministry said in a statement that the terrorists were neutralized along with their arms during a domestic security operation in rural areas of southeastern Mardin province’s Omerli district.

The terrorists were found out to be the ones who martyred Tufan Kansuva, Police Special Operations Unit Chief and injured a village guard in the district on Saturday.

Turkish authorities often use the term "neutralize" in statements to imply the terrorists in question either surrendered or were killed or captured.

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 some 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.

*Writing by Sena Guler