The Ministry of National Defense announced on Wednesday that 21 terrorists from PKK/YPG were eliminated in operations in Syria and Iraq.

The ministry said in a social media post that 20 terrorists who were preparing to carry out attacks in Operation Euphrates Shield and Operation Peace Spring zones in Syria’s north and another terrorist in Operation Claw-Lock in northern Iraq were eliminated. The ministry vowed more "decisive" counterterrorism operations, noting that they would continue taking "preventive and destructive measures" against the PKK/YPG.

In its 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the U.S. and the EU, has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children, infants and the elderly. The YPG is the PKK's Syrian offshoot.

As the terrorist group gained a foothold in Syria, in parallel with the growth of Daesh, Türkiye launched Operation Euphrates Shield and Operation Peace Spring, the first major cross-border offensives in Syria by Türkiye, in 2016 and 2019, respectively.