Turkish airstrikes neutrilize nine PKK members in Kurdistan
Shafaq News/The Turkish Ministry of Defense announced, onMonday, that nine members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) wereneutralized in northern Iraq.
The ministry stated on X that this toll resulted from“Turkish Air Force jet airstrikes on PKK positions in the Hakurk, Gara, andMetina areas in Kurdistan Region between December 3 and 9.”
Notably, Turkiye uses the term “neutralize” to indicate thata member has been killed or captured.
Since the start of summer 2024, the Turkish military hasintensified operations in the region, targeting PKK positions andfortifications in the Matin Mountain range with warplanes and drones. Inresponse, PKK fighters have stayed entrenched in caves and mountain shelters,hindering the success of Turkish operations.
The PKK, designated a terrorist organization by Turkiye, theUnited States, and the European Union, has been engaged in an armed struggleagainst the Turkish state since the 1980s, seeking greater autonomy for theKurdish population in Turkiye. This decades-long conflict has led to tens ofthousands of deaths, with Turkiye conducting cross-border military operationsto target PKK strongholds in Iraq and YPG positions in Syria, both of whichAnkara views as extensions of the PKK.
