ANKARA

Turkish security forces neutralized 14 PKK terrorists as part of Turkiye’s Operation Claw-Lock in northern Iraq, the country’s National Defense Ministry said Thursday.

The ministry said the air operation targeted the terror zones in the region, adding that they are determined to continue fighting terrorists.

Turkiye launched Operation Claw-Lock last month to target PKK hideouts in northern Iraq’s Metina, Zap, and Avasin-Basyan regions. It preceded Operations Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle, which were launched in 2020, to root out terrorists who hide in northern Iraq and plot cross-border attacks in Turkiye.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the US, and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of at least 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.