Turkish Security Forces Neutralize At Least 40 PKK Militants Over Past Week - Reports

Turkish Security Forces Neutralize at Least 40 PKK Militants Over Past Week - Reports

Turkish security forces have killed, captured or forced to surrender at least 40 militants of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), listed as a terrorist organization by Ankara, including two senior PKK members, as part of counterterrorism raids carried out across the country over the past week, local media reported on Monday.

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th August, 2018) Turkish security forces have killed, captured or forced to surrender at least 40 militants of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), listed as a terrorist organization by Ankara, including two senior PKK members, as part of counterterrorism raids carried out across the country over the past week, local media reported on Monday.

According to the Anadolu news agency, citing the Turkish Interior Ministry, a total of 24 PKK militants were killed, another five were captured, while 11 surrendered during over 2,330 raids conducted by the Turkish Armed Forces on August 13-20.

A total of 297 people were detained for allegedly providing aid to the PKK, while over 250 people were arrested over their alleged links to other terrorist groups.

The ministry added that the Armed Forces destroyed eight shelters used by terrorists and confiscated 30 weapons and 10 hand grenades, the media outlet said.

Security forces also conducted over 2,300 anti-drug and anti-smuggling raids, detaining more than 3,600 suspects and seizing 55 kilograms (121 Pounds) of heroin and over 2,400 cubic feet of smuggled oil.

The armed conflict between the PKK and Ankara dates back to the 1980s. Tensions between Ankara and the Kurds escalated in July 2015, when a two-year ceasefire between the two parties collapsed over a series of terror attacks allegedly committed by PKK members. According to the local media, about 40,000 people have been killed by the PKK militants during the long-standing conflict.