ANKARA, July 28 (Xinhua) -- The Turkish military has neutralized a total of 16 "terrorists" in operations in northern Iraq and northern Syria, the country's Defense Ministry said Sunday.

 

The Turkish forces killed 11 members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Hakurk, Gara and Asos regions in northern Iraq, said the ministry in a statement, without specifying the time frame of the operations.

 

Turkish authorities often use the term "neutralized" in their statements to imply the "terrorists" in question surrendered or were killed or captured.

 

In a separate operation in northern Syria, the Turkish forces "neutralized" five members of the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), the ministry said in a statement.

 

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 to create a YPG-free zone along its border with the neighboring country.

 

Türkiye sees the YPG group as the PKK's Syrian branch.