ANKARA 

Turkish fighter jets neutralized eight PKK terrorists in northern Iraq, the National Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.

The terrorists were detected through reconnaissance and surveillance and neutralized in the Gara region, the ministry said on Twitter.

“Operations will continue with determination,” the ministry added.

Turkish authorities use the term “neutralized” to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.

Turkey started an anti-terror offensive – Operation Claw-Eagle 2 – in the Gara region earlier this month to prevent the PKK and other terror groups from re-establishing positions used to carry out cross-border terror attacks on Turkey.

It was during the operation that Turkish forces found the bodies of 13 people – 12 of them Turkish nationals – who were executed by the PKK terror group.

The massacre drew widespread condemnation in Turkey and around the world, with Ankara reaffirming its resolve to wipe out the terror group and ensuring swift retribution.

Operations Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle were first initiated in northern Iraq last June to ensure the safety of Turkey’s people and borders.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US, and the European Union – has been responsible for the deaths of at least 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.