Turkey’s military operations against Kurdish targets in north Syria and north Iraq have claimed the lives of 21 guerrilla fighters over the last four days, said Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar on Saturday.
“We have just received the news. Turkish troops neutralised three terrorists in Zap” Akar said during an election campaign event, referring to ongoing operations in northern Iraq.
Turkish authorities use the term “neutralised” to imply that military targets either surrendered or were killed or captured.
“As of now, the number of terrorists neutralised in the past four days has reached 21,” Akar added, referring to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighters.
The defence minister claimed that the PKK are “a tool at the hands of imperialists” and that the armed group are “used to stop Turkey”.
The PKK forces in north Iraq on Saturday announced that since 20 April the Turkish military had attacked guerrilla positions 32 times.
The Turkish military’s aggressive operations continued on Saturday, with Turkish jets attacking a village in the Amediyê district of Iraqi Kurdistan’s Duhok, Mezopotamya News reported.