ANKARA: Turkiye’s military announced on Wednesday that it had “neutralized” 53 Kurdish militants in northern Syria. The operation involved the use of ground artillery and drones in response to an attack on a police post along the Turkish border over the weekend, according to the country’s defense ministry.
The term “neutralized” typically indicates that individuals were either killed or wounded. The recent strikes specifically targeted the hideouts of the militants in the Manbij and Tal Rifaat regions.
Turkiye’s Military Operation
Turkiye has previously launched military incursions into Syria to combat the Kurdish YPG militia, which it considers an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). The PKK is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the United States, and the European Union.
The United States has been in alliance with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which is led by the YPG, in the fight against the Islamic State (Daesh) in Syria. This partnership has caused significant tensions between Turkiye and the United States.
The PKK initiated an insurgency against the Turkish state in 1984, primarily concentrated in Turkiye’s predominantly Kurdish southeast region. The conflict has resulted in the deaths of over 40,000 people.
