The Turkish army eliminated seven terrorists of the PKK, the Ministry of National Defense announced on Sunday. The ministry said five among them were captured either dead or alive in northern Iraq.

"As a result of our decisive operations, five PKK terrorists identified in the Hakurk and Claw-Lock regions in northern Iraq were eliminated by our Turkish Armed Forces," the ministry said on X, referring to Türkiye's Operation Claw-Lock zone in northern Iraq. "We are determined and resolute to eradicate terrorism at its source," it added.

Türkiye launched Operation Claw-Lock in April 2022 to target the PKK terrorist organization's hideouts in Iraq's northern Metina, Zap and Avasin-Basyan regions near the Turkish border.

In its more than 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 over 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. The PKK carried out attacks killing more than a dozen Turkish soldiers in the past two months in northern Iraq, a high toll that only increased Turkish operations in the region.

Hours later, the ministry announced two terrorists plotting an attack targeting Operation Euphrates Shield zone in northern Syria were eliminated by "brave commandos."

Türkiye launched Operation Euphrates Shield on Aug. 24, 2016, to eliminate terrorists in northern Syria, especially the terrorist organization Daesh, which threatened its security, and to ensure border security within the scope of its right of self-defense stemming from Article 51 of the United Nations Convention. On the first day of the operation, the town of Jarablus, located on Syrian territory opposite Gaziantep's Karkamış district, was liberated from Daesh terrorists. Lastly, al-Bab was liberated on Feb. 23, 2017. With the operation, the settlements located between the two towns and spread over an area of 2,055 square kilometers (794 square miles) were cleared of terrorism in 217 days.