A wanted senior PKK terrorist in charge of the group’s activities in the Makhmour, Kirkuk and Sulaymaniyah regions in northern Iraq has been killed in an operation coordinated by Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT), reports said Monday.
The terrorist, identified as Mehmet Erdoğan, code-named “Ahmet Rubar,” was killed in the Makhmour camp in Mosul, Iraq, on May 21, Demirören News Agency (DHA) reported.
He was a senior member of the command council in charge of armed and bomb attacks against Turkey.
He was also behind a series of attacks against Turkey during his time in the Hakurk and Avashin regions.
He joined the terrorist group in the 1990s and was the mastermind behind a series of terrorist attacks that killed security forces and civilians.
Meanwhile, the Defense Ministry said one of the terrorists eliminated in northern Iraq on May 18 was Ayhan Inalhan, code-named “Mirza,” who was in the orange category of the Interior Ministry’s wanted list.
The wanted list is divided into five color-coded categories, with red being the most wanted, followed by blue, green, orange and gray.
On a different note, another PKK terrorist surrendered to Turkish security forces following persuasion efforts in an operation coordinated by the Interior Ministry and the Gendarmerie General Command.
The terrorist had joined the PKK in 2015 and had carried out activities in Iraq and Iran.
The total number of terrorists who surrendered in 2022 has risen to 33 with the latest addition.
Turkish security forces regularly conduct counterterrorism operations in the eastern and southeastern provinces of Turkey, where the PKK has attempted to establish a strong presence.
Security forces also carry out operations abroad where the terrorist organization poses a threat. The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) regularly conduct cross-border operations in northern Iraq, a region where PKK terrorists have hideouts and bases from which to carry out attacks against Turkey.
In its more than 40-year terrorist campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union – has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.
