ANKARA, July 24 (Xinhua) -- The Turkish intelligence has "neutralized" a senior member and two other militants of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in a cross-border operation in northern Iraq, the semi-official Anadolu Agency reported Wednesday.
The PKK members, Omer Firat, codenamed "Tolhildan," along with Irfan Zendi, codenamed "Raman Renas," and Hidayet Resuli, codenamed "Cengaver Mikayil," were "neutralized" in an air operation carried out by the Turkish National Intelligence Organization, said the report, without specifying the timing of the operation.
Anonymous Turkish security officials were quoted as saying that due to frequent Turkish military operations in northern Iraq, PKK members have retreated to the Sulaymaniyah region, which they consider a safe zone.
Turkish authorities often use the term "neutralize" in their statements to imply the alleged "terrorists" have either surrendered, been killed, or been captured.
The PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States, and the European Union, is based in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region of northern Iraq, an area where Türkiye frequently conducts airstrikes and maintains military outposts. ■
