ANKARA, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) killed a senior member of the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in a cross-border operation in northern Syria, semi-official Anadolu Agency reported on Friday.
The "neutralized" Ali Subasi, codenamed Idris Serhat, allegedly was the "ideological field manager" of the group in northern Syria, Anadolu quoted anonymous sources as saying.
Turkish authorities often use the term "neutralize" in their statements to imply the "terrorists" in question surrendered or were killed or captured.
According to MIT, Subasi was active in Türkiye, Iran and Iraq. He acted as a senior member of the YPG in the region during Türkiye's "Operation Olive Branch" in northern Syria.
The Turkish army launched Operation Euphrates Shield in 2016, Operation Olive Branch in 2018, Operation Peace Spring in 2019, and Operation Spring Shield in 2020 in northern Syria in order to create a YPG-free zone along its border with the neighboring country. The Turkish intelligence also has intensified cross-border operations in Iraq and Syria.
Türkiye sees the YPG group as the Syrian branch of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (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. ■
