ANKARA

Turkey neutralized at least 43 YPG/PKK terrorists in northern Syria, the National Defense Ministry said on Thursday.

In response to terror attacks on Wednesday that killed nine civilians in Syria's Al-Bab and killed a Turkish soldier in Cizre district of Turkiye's southeastern Sirnak province, 34 terrorists were neutralized, the ministry said on Twitter.

On Wednesday, nine more terrorists had been neutralized, the ministry added.

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

After suffering severe losses as a result of the Turkish military's Operation Winter Eagle in northern Syria and Iraq, the YPG/PKK sought to prevent its dissolution with a bomb attack in the Syrian town of Al-Bab, a security source said on condition of anonymity.

Following the attack, the terrorists also opened fire on Turkish army positions in the Dadat, Kil Cibrin, and Tall Malid areas in northern Syria, the unnamed source told Anadolu Agency. In total, these attacks led to the deaths of nine civilians.

In response, Turkish fire support units struck some 30 YPG/PKK targets in the vicinity of the Operation Euphrates Shield and Operation Peace Spring zones in northern Syria, while with artillery strikes.

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 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. The YPG is the PKK's Syrian offshoot.