ANKARA

Turkish intelligence "neutralized" a member of the PKK terrorist group in Syria, who was among the planners of last year's attack on Istiklal avenue in Istanbul, security sources said on Wednesday.

Nabo Kele Hayri, codnamed Mazlum Afrin, was targeted in the Al-Hasakah province of Syria, said the sources on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

The terror group carried out the Istanbul attack that left six people dead and 81 others injured on Nov. 13, 2022.

The neutralized terrorist was confirmed to be a member of the so-called 14-person intelligence structure established by the PKK and its affiliations such as the YPG, in May 2022 purportedly for carrying out actions against Türkiye.

Hayri was involved in planning attacks and acts of sabotage against Turkish security units and the Syrian National Army in Syria, and was also identified as one of the masterminds behind a bombing in Operation Peace Spring zone in 2021.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is its Syrian offshoot.

*Writing by Seda Sevencan