Türkiye ‘neutralizes’ 16 PKK members in attacks in Syria and Iraq

September 8 () –

The Turkish Ministry of Defense reported on Sunday that the Armed Forces have “neutralized” 16 members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and related organizations in attacks in Syrian and Iraqi territory.

“Our heroic Armed Forces have neutralized 15 PKK terrorists identified in the regions of Operation Euphrates Shield and Operation Olive Branch in northern Syria and one PKK terrorist identified in the Qandil region of northern Iraq,” the Ministry posted on its account on the social network X.

The message is accompanied by a video showing several shots from artillery vehicles, rocket launchers and the take-off of an F-16 fighter jet, as well as the launching of several projectiles. The forcefulness of the military means used suggests that the neutralised PKK members could have been killed.

Since the PKK took up arms in 1984 to demand independence from Turkey’s predominantly Kurdish southeast, more than 40,000 people have been killed in violence. The Turkish military operation is now expanding to northern Iraq and northern and northeastern Syria.