PKK death toll continues to climb in southeast Turkey

ANKARA

Security forces have killed 544 PKK terrorists in three districts of southeastern provinces of Diyarbakir and Sirnak since counter-terror operations began in Dec. 15, Turkish military said Saturday.

Turkish General Staff said in a statement that most casualties took place in ongoing security operations in Sirnak's Silopi and Cizre districts, and in Diyarbakir's Sur district.

In Silopi, 135 PKK terrorists were killed, 218 barricades removed and 732 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) destroyed.

In Cizre, 308 PKK terrorists were killed, 313 barriers removed and 429 IEDs destroyed.

In Sur, 101 terrorists were killed, 84 barricades and ditches removed.

On Tuesday, Turkish General Staff and the office of Diyarbakir province’s governor said 578 PKK terrorists had been killed since Dec. 15 in five districts in the provinces of Diyarbakir, Sirnak and Mardin.

Operations have been completed in Nusaybin and Dargecit in Mardin province.

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

Since then, more than 200 members of the security forces have been martyred and thousands of PKK terrorists killed in operations across Turkey and northern Iraq.