ANKARA, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- Turkish forces have conducted airstrikes against 19 targets of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in a cross-border operation in northern Iraq, the military confirmed on Thursday.
In a statement, Türkiye's Defense Ministry said the operation was carried out late Wednesday in the Metina, Hakurk, Gara, Avasin and Qandil regions and hit 19 caves, caches and shelters thought to be used by senior PKK members.
A large number of "terrorists" were "neutralized" in the operations, during which indigenously produced munitions were used to the greatest degree, according to the ministry.
Turkish authorities often use the term "neutralized" in their statements to imply the "terrorists" in question surrendered or were killed or captured.
The airstrikes followed a series of military actions by Türkiye in response to a suicide bombing in the capital Ankara on Oct. 1.
The PKK claimed responsibility for the attack near the Interior Ministry building, where one attacker died after he set off the suicide bomb, while the other bomber was shot dead by the police.
Since the attack, Türkiye has intensified its operations against targets of the PKK and the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in both Iraq and Syria.
Meanwhile, massive anti-terror operations were launched nationwide to detain hundreds of individuals, suspected of having links to the PKK.
Türkiye sees the YPG group as the Syrian branch of the PKK.
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. ■
