Turkey “neutralizes” two PKK members in northern Syria

Sep. 4 () –

The Turkish Ministry of Defense reported this Saturday that its agents have “neutralized two members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a Kurdish guerrilla, in northern Syria.

“Harassing shots by terrorists do not go unpunished,” the Defense portfolio said in a message on Twitter.

The Turkish agents would have neutralized “the terrorists” after the latter had allegedly fired at the Turkish military.

“Two PKK/YPG terrorists, who opened harassing fire in the Peace Spring region in northern Syria, were neutralized by our Turkish Armed Forces,” the ministry announced.

Since 2016, Ankara has launched three operations on its border in northern Syria: Euphrates Shield in 2016, Olive Branch in 2018 and Peace Spring in 2019, the Turkish Anadolu agency reports.

The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.

Turkey has repeatedly carried out military operations against the PKK in Syria since the ceasefire between the Government and the armed group was broken in July 2015.

The Turkish Army is also fighting the PKK in Iraqi Kurdistan, in northern Iraq. Currently, Ankara is running the Claw Lighting offensive that it announced in mid-April against the guerrillas in Iraq.