December 11, 2017•Update: December 12, 2017
ANKARA
At least seven PKK terrorists were neutralized in nationwide counter-terror operations over the past week, Turkey's interior ministry said on Monday.
According to a statement, 1,323 operations from Dec.4-11 were held in southern Hatay, eastern Batman, Bingol, Bitlis, Tunceli, and southeastern Diyarbakir, Hakkari, Mardin and Siirt provinces.
Two terrorists were killed, two were captured alive and three surrendered during the operations.
Also, 153 suspects were arrested for aiding and abetting PKK, 67 for links to Daesh, 699 for links to Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), and four others for links to far-left terror groups.
During the operations, 22 PKK shelters and 34 handmade explosives were destroyed.
More than 1,200 people, including security force personnel and civilians, have lost their lives since the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and EU -- resumed its decades-old armed campaign in July 2015.
FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen ochestrated the defeated coup attempt on July 15, 2017 which martyred 250 and left nearly 2,200 injured.
Heavy ammunition including hand grenades and rifles were also seized during the operation.
Anti-narcotics teams seized drugs including 2.2 tons of hashish and 78 kilograms of heroin in 2,000 raids across 77 provinces.
Reporting by Sertac Bulur:Writing by Nilay Kar
