ERZURUM, Turkey
Turkish security forces have killed over 200 PKK terrorists in September as part of the country's counter-terrorism operations.
All Turkish security forces including primarily the Turkish Armed Forces and the Security General Directorate -- the country's police force -- continued their operations against the terrorist group, which targets Turkey's peaceful environment, children, youth and the elderly.
According to the information gathered by Anadolu Agency, 15 Turkish security officers were martyred by the PKK terrorists in the attacks in September. Six other civilian workers in the area also lost their lives in the attacks.
Thirty security personnel injured in the attacks or counter-terror operations are under medical care.
In efforts to maintain country's peace and security, Turkish security forces have conducted ground and air operations both nationwide and abroad.
In September alone, 222 PKK terrorists were killed during the operations.
A total of 163 suspects including lawyers were also arrested in operations across the country; 106 were remanded in custody.
In air-supported operations in the eastern province of Tunceli, eight terrorists -- including the one listed in Interior Ministry’s “wanted list” -- was killed.
A total of five PKK terrorists were killed on Aug. 31 in northeastern Kars province in an air-supported operation. Amongst them was Goksel Tiryaki, the attacker of Turkey's main opposition leader's convoy last year in Artvin.
A terrorist killed in Pulumur district of eastern Tunceli province on Sept. 20 was identified as Bayram Yilmaz alias "Yilmaz Amed", who was the top PKK figure in Nazimiye district.
Six other terrorists were killed in eastern Elazig province. One of the terrorists is identified as Burak Aydemir, who was allegedly in-charge of Dersim, now known as Tunceli province.
Those escaped from the PKK and surrendered to security forces in southeastern Diyarbakir province confessed their "defeat".
"There are serious losses in every region due to the latest operations. These losses include high ranking PKK terrorists. They are experiencing heavy defeat,” a terrorist confessed.
Some of the terror incidents in September
- A Turkish soldier was martyred on Sept. 3 by PKK terrorists in Iraq after launching a rocket attack on Turkish soldiers in Hakkari’s Cukurca district, which lies along the Turkish-Iraqi border.
- Two utility workers were martyred and three injured when PKK terrorists attacked a vehicle in the southeastern Hakkari province on Sept. 6.
- A soldier was martyred and two soldiers were injured during the clash in Bingol province's Adakli district on Sept. 8.
- A security guard was martyred and three others were injured in a terror attack by the PKK on Sept. 12 in Semdinli district of southeastern Hakkari province.
- In an operation against the PKK terrorist group, a soldier was martyred in southeastern Mardin province on Sept. 18.
- One soldier was martyred and four soldiers were injured in the clash with terrorists in Hakkari's Buzul Mountain on Sept. 21.
- One Turkish soldier was martyred on Sept. 22 in a roadside bomb attack by PKK terrorists in Hakkari.
- One Turkish soldier and a worker were martyred while two other soldiers wounded in a rocket and mortar fire attack on Sept. 23 by PKK terrorists in Hakkari.
- One Syrian refugee was killed and five others were injured after PKK terrorists fired mortar shells in Hakkari near border with Iraq on Sept. 25.
- Three civilians were killed and seven others were injured when PKK terrorists opened fire on a minibus on Sept. 25 in the eastern Agri province's Dogubayazit district.
- One soldier was martyred, another injured in southeastern province of Diyarbakir during an operation against PKK terror group on Sept. 26.
- Two military personnel and two security guards were martyred as eight security guards were also injured during an operation against PKK terrorists in Agri on Sept. 30.
Reporting by Yunus Okur; Writing by Merve Aydogan;
