Shafaq News/ Turkey's defense ministry on Saturday said it has "neutralized" three fighters affiliated with the anti-Ankara Kurdistan's Workers Party (PKK) during the ongoing Operation "Claw-lock" in the north of Iraq's Semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.

Turkish authorities use the term "neutralize" to imply that "the terrorists in question surrendered, were killed, or captured."

Operation Claw-Lock is an ongoing military operation of the Turkish Armed Forces in northern Iraq. The operation is taking place in the Duhok Governorate against the Kurdistan Workers' Party, as part of the ongoing Kurdish–Turkish conflict.

The Turkish Armed Forces have been conducting cross-border military operations against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Northern Iraq since the 1980s. Since 2019, Turkey has begun conducting operations codenamed Claw, including Claw Eagle and Tiger in 2020 and Claw-Lighting and Thunderbolt in 2021. According to Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, the current operation targets positions in the areas Metina, Zap, and Avashin and is carried out in cooperation with their allies.