Turkish military neutralizes 17 “terrorists” in Iraq, Syria: ministry

ANKARA, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) — The Turkish military has “neutralized” 17 “terrorists” in operations in northern Iraq and northern Syria, the country’s Defense Ministry said on Sunday.
The ministry said 15 Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) members were neutralized in northern Iraq. In a separate operation in the northern Syrian city of Manbij, two members of the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) were also neutralized.
Turkish authorities often use the term “neutralized” in their statements to imply that the “terrorists” in question surrendered, were killed, or were captured.
The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States, and the European Union, has rebelled against the Turkish government for more than three decades. Türkiye sees the YPG group as the PKK’s Syrian branch.
Türkiye has been conducting cross-border operations in Iraq and Syria to target PKK and YPG hideouts. ■