Turkey says over 800 terrorists ‘neutralized’ in northern Iraq in 7 months

ANKARA

Turkish military have "neutralized" 831 terrorists in cross-border operations in northern Iraq since April, said the defense authorities on Saturday.

According to the National Defense Ministry, Turkish soldiers have seized nearly 1,300 weapons and 316,000 ammunitions belonging to the terrorists since Operations Pence-Simsek and Pence-Yildirim were launched in April.

Over 1,400 caves and shelters as well as 1,800 improvised explosive devices have been destroyed so far during the operations.

Turkish authorities use the term "neutralized" to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.

The ministry also released new footage of Turkey's ongoing operations in Iraq's Metina and Avasin-Basyan regions.

Footage shows Turkish armed forces entering the shelters used by terrorists to clear the area from terrorists despite difficult ground conditions.

The terrorist PKK often uses bases in northern Iraq, just across Turkey's southern border, to plot terror attacks in Turkey, and the YPG/PKK has tried to establish a terror corridor in northern Syria, targeting both Turkish soldiers and border areas.

Turkey has carried out a series of offensives since 2019 against terrorist groups in northern Iraq, particularly the PKK. The latest operations are Pence-Simsek and Pence-Yildirim launched this April in the Metina and Avasin-Basyan regions. Earlier, Turkey launched Operations Pence-Kaplan and Pence-Kartal in June 2020.

Also, since 2016 Ankara has launched a trio of successful anti-terror operations across its border in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and enable the peaceful settlement of residents: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018) and Peace Spring (2019).

In its over 35-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US, and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of at least 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. The YPG is the PKK's Syrian offshoot.

* Writing by Zehra Nur Duz