Turkish forces killed 140 terrorists in past 2 weeks

by Ismail Cimen

ANKARA

At least 140 PKK terrorists have been killed in counter-terrorism operations in Turkey's southeastern province of Hakkari and in northern Iraq over the last two weeks, the Turkish General Staff said Friday.

Raids by Turkish jets on PKK positions in Qandil on April 29 killed three terrorists and injured 17 others, the Turkish General Staff said.

In a May 5 operation on PKK positions in the Hakurk region of northern Iraq, seven terrorists were killed, and 19 were wounded, the military said.

According to the General Staff, 100 terrorists were killed and 30 others wounded on May 6 in an air raid by Turkish jets in the Gara region of northern Iraq.

In two separate operations on May 8, three terrorists were killed and seven others wounded in the Zap region of northern Iraq. Nineteen terrorists were killed in the Qandil region the same day.

In addition, eight terrorists were killed on May 10 in a Turkish air raid in Hakkari province.

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

Since then, more than 440 members of the security forces, including troops, police officers and village guards, have been martyred, and over 4,500 PKK terrorists killed in operations across Turkey and northern Iraq.

*Anadolu Agency correspondent Emin Avundukluoglu contributed to this report from Ankara.