Turkish airstrikes neutrilize nine PKK members in Kurdistan

Shafaq News/The Turkish Ministry of Defense announced, on Monday, that nine members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) were neutralized 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, and Metina areas in Kurdistan Region between December 3 and 9.”

Notably, Turkiye uses the term “neutralize” to indicate that a member has been killed or captured.

Since the start of summer 2024, the Turkish military has intensified operations in the region, targeting PKK positions and fortifications in the Matin Mountain range with warplanes and drones. In response, PKK fighters have stayed entrenched in caves and mountain shelters, hindering the success of Turkish operations.

The PKK, designated a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the United States, and the European Union, has been engaged in an armed struggle against the Turkish state since the 1980s, seeking greater autonomy for the Kurdish population in Turkiye. This decades-long conflict has led to tens of thousands of deaths, with Turkiye conducting cross-border military operations to target PKK strongholds in Iraq and YPG positions in Syria, both of which Ankara views as extensions of the PKK.