Turkish intelligence kills senior PKK member in N. Iraq
The Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) killed a senior member of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in a cross-border operation in northern Iraq, the state-run TRT broadcaster reported Friday.
Mesut Celal Osman, codenamed "Zagros Cekdar," was "neutralized" in the Sinjar region in northern Iraq, the TRT said, adding that he was responsible for the PKK's operations in Sinjar, which has become a major PKK stronghold in recent years.
The term "neutralized" is often used by Turkish authorities to imply that "terrorists" are killed, wounded, or captured in security operations.
Osman joined the PKK in Syria in 2010. He returned to Syria in 2015 after completing his military training in Iraq, the TRT reported, noting that he traveled back to Iraq in 2018 and has served as one of the leaders of the PKK group in Sinjar as of 2023.
The MIT has intensified cross-border operations in Iraq since last year and killed several other senior PKK members over the past months.
The Turkish military also carries out frequent cross-border operations against the PKK in northern Iraq, particularly in the Qandil Mountains, the main base of the group.
The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States and the European Union, has rebelled against the Turkish government for more than three decades.
