Turkish fighter jets neutralized seven PKK terrorists during a counterterrorism operation in northern Iraq as part of Operation Claw, Turkey's anti-terror operation against the PKK in the Hakurk region, the Defense Ministry said Thursday.

Airstrikes that were carried out in the regions of Metina and Zap neutralized four terrorists, the ministry initially said on Twitter.

Turkish authorities often use the term "neutralized" in statements to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.

The airstrikes also destroyed weapon emplacements and shelters used by PKK terrorists, the ministry said.

The ministry later said that the Turkish army neutralized three more PKK terrorists in Metina on Thursday.

On July 13, Turkey launched Operation Claw-2 as a follow-up to the successfully ongoing Claw-1, which was launched on May 27.

Also gendarmerie forces neutralized a PKK terrorist during security operations in eastern Van province, the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

Operations are ongoing in the region, it added.

The Interior Ministry also noted that a PKK terrorist neutralized by Turkish security forces earlier in July had been on the nation's wanted terrorists list.

Celal Gök, codenamed Agit Soro, was among the five terrorists neutralized on July 19 in a cross-border operation in outskirts of Lice district of southeastern Diyarbakır province.

He was in the grey category of the Interior Ministry's wanted terrorists list and sought with a bounty of 300,000 Turkish liras (roughly $53,000) on his head.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of some 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.