ANKARA, Jan 9 (NNN-ANADOLU) – Turkey’s security forces killed at least 12 members of Syria’s Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), after three Turkish soldiers died in an explosion, the country’s defence ministry said.
“After the IED (improvised explosive device) attack, in which three of our heroic comrades were martyred, on the Akcakale borderline, the PKK/YPG targets were hit with our fire support vehicles, and 12 terrorists were neutralised, according to the initial findings,” the ministry tweeted.
Turkish authorities often use the term “neutralised” to imply “terrorists” killed, wounded or captured in security operations.
The Turkish security forces continued military operations in the region, said the ministry.
Three soldiers were killed yesterday, when a bomb exploded on Turkey’s border with Syria, the ministry earlier said.
They were killed by an improvised explosive device, planted by “terrorists” on the “borderline” in Akcakale district of the south-eastern Sanliurfa city, said the statement.
The explosion occurred when a military vehicle was passing by Syria’s northern border town, Tal Abyad, local Demiroren News Agency (DHA) reported.
Tal Abyad town has been under control of the Turkish forces and Turkey-backed rebels, since Ankara launched Operation Peace Spring against a Syrian Kurdish group, in Oct, 2019.
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 eliminate the YPG group along its border with the neighbouring country.
Turkey sees the YPG as the Syrian branch of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
On Friday, the defence ministry said, Turkey killed eight YPG members in northern Syria, when they “attempted to attack” Turkish forces at the Operation Peace Spring zone.
Turkish forces and the YPG members in the region often exchange fire on the Syrian border.
The PKK, listed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States and the EU, has been rebelling against the Turkish government for more than three decades, claiming more than 40,000 lives, so far.– NNN-ANADOLU