Türkiye neutralises most wanted terrorist and four others in operation

Turkish security forces have neutralised five terrorists, including one in the most-wanted category, in the country's eastern region.

"Five terrorists were neutrealised in the rural areas of Dogubayazit district in Agri province and Palamut village in the Hasankeyf district of Batman province, in the 'BOZDOGAN-43' operations," Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on X on Thursday.

Among the five terrorists was Yilmaz Oner, also known by his code name Sehmus Malazgirt, who was in the red category of the interior ministry's wanted list.

According to Yerlikaya, Oner participated in a total of 18 terrorist attacks that claimed the lives of 27 security personnel and four civilians, while 68 security personnel and two civilians were injured.

Intelligence also determined that Oner gave the order for those terror attacks to take place, he added.

Three other terrorists neutralised in the operation were in the orange category of the ministry's colour-coded wanted list, — red is the most wanted, followed by blue, green, orange and grey.

Terrorists neutralised in northern Iraq

Turkish security forces on Thursday also neutralised five members of the PKK terrorist organisation in northern Iraq, the National Defense Ministry reported.

The ministry said on X that the terrorists were targeted in the regions of Hakurk, Kandil and Operation Claw-Lock zone, stressing that Türkiye's fight against terrorism continues actively and decisively.

Terrorists often hide out in northern Iraq, just across the Turkish border, to plot terror attacks in Türkiye.

Türkiye in 2022 launched Operation Claw-Lock to target the terror group PKK's hideouts innorthern Iraq's Metina, Zap and Avasin-Basyan regions.​​​​​​​

In its nearly 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK — listed as a terrorist organisation by Türkiye, the US, and EU — has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.