Turkish army says 7 terrorists 'neutralized' in Iraq

ANKARA

Turkish airstrikes on PKK shelters in northern Iraq have “naturalized” seven terrorists, the military said Wednesday.

Air operations took place in the Avasin-Basyan and Zap regions, according to a statement published on the military’s website.

Turkish authorities often use the word "neutralized" to imply the terrorists in question were captured or in this case killed.

Large numbers of explosive materials were seized Tuesday in southeastern Hakkari's Cukurca district during ongoing security operations, the statement added.

The military also said six handmade explosives were destroyed in the southeastern Diyarbakir, Sirnak, and Bitlis provinces, while security forces seized foodstuffs in two shelters in Bitlis’ Guroymak district.

In another statement on the website, Turkish forces on Tuesday captured 1,265 people trying to illegally cross the border from Syria and Iraq, and eight people were also captured while attempting to cross illegally into Syria and Iraq.

The PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and EU – resumed its armed campaign in July last year and has been responsible for the deaths of around 1,100 security force members and civilians since then. More than 10,000 PKK terrorists have been killed or apprehended in the same period.