Turkish forces report elimination of PKK and ISIS members in Iraq and Syria
Shafaq News/ Zaki Akturk, Adviser on Press and Public Relations of the Ministry of National Defense shared in a media briefing on Thursday that a total of 1,146 individuals affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and ISIS have been killed in Iraq and Syria since the commencement of 2023.
Akturk reported that over the past seven days alone, 44 individuals lost their lives, emphasizing the continuation of "large-scale" operations in northern Syria and Iraq to eliminate every member of these groups.
He further revealed that the Turkish armed forces have neutralized 38,489 individuals since July 24, 2015, hailing from the Kurdistan Workers' Party, ISIS, and PYD/YPG.
About border security, Akturk highlighted, "Border Guard forces detained 474 individuals, with 37 of them identified as members of the groups mentioned above, who were attempting to illegally cross the country's borders over the past seven days."
Providing additional statistics, Akturk disclosed, "The tally of those arrested while attempting to enter Turkish territory during the current year unlawfully stands at 5,756, including 417 affiliated with these groups."
The Turkish official concluded by stating, "Our nation's forces also successfully thwarted the illegal border crossing attempts of 4,291 individuals during the past week," underscoring that the total number of individuals prevented from crossing the border since the year's commencement reached 145,697 people.
