One of the heads of women's branch of the PKK, Halide Tarı, was killed in a joint operation by Turkish military and intelligence services in the Qandil mountains in Iraq on Friday.

Turkish security forces (TSK) regularly conduct counterterrorism operations in the eastern and southeastern provinces of Turkey where the PKK has attempted to establish a strong presence and bases. The TSK also conducts cross-border operations in northern Iraq, a region where PKK terrorists have hideouts and bases from where they carry out attacks on Turkey. The operations intensified after July 2018.

All the operations that the country conducts in Iraq have secured an area of 370 kilometers (230 miles), preventing terrorists from entering Turkey or gaining a foothold in the region. The area had served as the main base for terrorists between the Turkish border and their headquarters in the Qandil mountains near the border with Iran.

The PKK is listed as a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States, the United Nations and the European Union. The group, which has Marxist-Leninist roots, was founded in 1974 and afterward launched a paramilitary campaign against the Turkish government, calling for an independent state in southeastern Turkey.