Turkish military strikes 24 Kurdish militant targets in northern Iraq, Syria

Turkey’s military conducted airstrikes in northern Iraq and Syria on Sunday and destroyed 24 Kurdish militant targets, the Turkish Defense Ministry said in a statement, adding many militants had been “neutralized” in the attack.

The term “neutralized” when used in such expressions most often means “killed”.

The operations were conducted in northern Syria and Metina, Hakurk, Gara, Asos and Qandil regions of northern Iraq at 10 p.m. (1900 GMT), the ministry said.

In a statement on social messaging platform X, the ministry said the targets included caves, shelters, bunkers, depots and natural gas production facilities.

Nine Turkish soldiers were killed in a clash on Friday with members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

Turkish forces have been carrying out a cross-border operation called “Claw-Lock” in Iraq as part of the country’s offensive against PKK militants.

Turkey has also launched military incursions in Syria against the Kurdish YPG militia, regarding it as a wing of the PKK.

The PKK, designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, took up arms against the Turkish state in 1984.