Turkish security forces kill 13 PKK terrorists

Turkish security forces killed 13 members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and captured five more in a major operation against the terrorist organization that took place over the past two days in the Amanos Mountains, located in Osmaniye province, officials have said.

A statement from the Osmaniye Governor's Office on Wednesday said a group of nearly 1,000 soldiers, including teams from the special ops police, gendarmerie special ops and gendarmerie commandos conducted large-scale operations in the Amanos Mountains on Dec. 3, Todays Zaman reported.

The operation was accomplished with the help of information and documents discovered from previous operations in the region, as well as air support. Thirteen terrorists were killed and five others captured during the recent operation, the statement said.

The security officials also discovered supplies of weapons and ammunition, including eight Kalashnikov rifles, eight M-16 infantry rifles, 21 hand grenades and 10 mobile phones and food supplies.

The Osmaniye Governor's Office also announced that it was determined to continue the fight against terrorism in the region.

Fighting between the military and the PKK has intensified in recent months, a development that some Turkish officials and analysts have linked to the chaos in neighboring Syria.

A September statement released by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) in response to criticism of its effectiveness in fighting terrorism said that 333 PKK terrorists were killed in 974 military operations against the PKK between February and August 2012.

The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the EU and the US, has been waging a bloody campaign in southeast Turkey since 1984. At least 40,000 people have been killed in clashes with the PKK since.


/Trend/