Turkish forces “neutralize” 16 Kurdish militants in Iraq, Syria

ANKARA, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) — Turkish security forces have “neutralized” 16 “terrorists” in operations in northern Iraq and northern Syria, the country’s Defense Ministry said Friday.
Turkish forces targeted 10 members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the Gara and Hakurk regions of northern Iraq, the ministry said on social media platform X.
In a separate operation in northern Syria, Turkish forces killed six members of the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), it added.
Türkiye considers the YPG group to be the PKK’s Syrian branch.
The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States, and the European Union, has been rebelling against the Turkish government for more than three decades.
Turkish authorities often use the term “neutralized” in their statements to indicate that the “terrorists” in question surrendered, were killed, or were captured. ■