ANKARA, April 5 (Xinhua) -- The Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) has "neutralized" a senior member of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in a cross-border operation in northern Syria, Türkiye's semi-official Anadolu Agency reported Friday.
Vahide Atalay, codenamed Sorhin Cele, was "neutralized" in an operation in the Ayn al-Arab District in northern Syria, Anadolu said, quoting unnamed security sources, without specifying the time of the operation.
Turkish authorities often use the term "neutralize" in their statements to imply the alleged "terrorists" have either surrendered, been killed, or been captured.
Atalay, who was on MIT's priority target list, conducted operational activities in Iraq and Syria. She also held an important position within the women's structure of the YPG in Syria.
Atalay has taken part in numerous activities against Turkish security forces since she joined the organization in 2006.
She went to Syria in 2014 and carried out armed activities in the Qamishli, Ayn al-Arab, and Ras al-Ayn regions. After getting injured in clashes, Atalay shifted her focus to recruiting local people into the organization.
Türkiye sees the YPG as the Syrian branch of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, which has been listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States, and the European Union and has rebelled against the Turkish government for more than three decades.
The Turkish military has launched multiple operations since 2016 in northern Syria to create a YPG-free zone along the border with the neighboring country. ■
