Shafaq News/ On Wednesday, the Turkish Ministry of Defense announced the killing of eight members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in the Kurdistan Region.

In a statement reported by the Anadolu Agency, the ministry indicated that its forces neutralized these militants as part of the "Claw-Lock (Pençe-Kilit)" operation.

The PKK has established its stronghold in the Qandil Mountains of northern Iraq, operating in various cities, regions, and valleys from which it conducts attacks against Turkiye.

The Turkish military launched the "Claw-Lock" operation on April 17, 2022, targeting PKK strongholds in the Matina, Zap, and Avashin-Basyan areas of the Kurdistan Region.

Since last week, Turkiye’s airstrikes on the PKK intensified following the armed attack on the Turkish Aerospace Industries complex (TUSAŞ) in the Kahramankazan district of Ankara, Turkiye's capital.

The conflict between Turkiye and the PKK dates back to the early 1980s when the PKK, founded by Abdullah Ocalan, began advocating for an independent Kurdish state within Turkiye.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the conflict intensified, with the PKK engaging in guerrilla warfare and the Turkish military conducting large-scale operations against PKK bases, particularly in southeastern Turkiye and northern Iraq.

The early 2000s saw intermittent ceasefires and attempts at peace negotiations, including a notable peace process in 2013. However, this process collapsed in 2015, leading to renewed hostilities.