Turkey: We 'Neutralized' 29 Militants in Syria and Northern Iraq

On Saturday, January 13, the Turkish Ministry of Defense announced that it had 'neutralized' 29 militants affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) through a series of airstrikes in northern Iraq and Syria, destroying dozens of targets. These attacks came a day after several Turkish soldiers were killed in clashes with the group's forces. The ministry stated in a post on social media platform 'X' that a series of airstrikes were conducted in the Hakurk, Metina, Gara, and Qandil regions of northern Iraq, targeting caves, shelters, and oil facilities. The ministry also separately reported that Turkish forces had 'neutralized' 9 Kurdish militants in northern Syria. The Turkish Defense Ministry's statement indicated that an attempt by a 12-member terrorist group to infiltrate northern Syria was thwarted. Turkey considers the People's Protection Units (YPG) militants to be an offshoot of the PKK and has carried out attacks against them in Syria. The ministry also reported that in the clash on Friday, January 12, with the PKK in northern Iraq, 9 Turkish soldiers were killed and four others were injured. Turkey, the United States, and the European Union have designated the PKK as a terrorist organization. Turkey has frequently conducted attacks against targets in Syria and Iraq that are said to be linked to the PKK. The PKK has been at war with the Turkish government since the 1980s. Ankara believes that northern Iraq has become a safe haven for PKK militants, with their leaders based there. Turkey has detained 29 suspects linked to ISIS and claims to have targeted 70 PKK-related bases in Syria and Iraq. Turkish warplanes have targeted PKK positions in northern Iraq.