The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) have announced that a total of 58 outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorists have been neutralized during operations in Hakkari and Şırnak provinces, the Milliyet daily reported on Friday.
According to the TSK statement, during operations in Hakkari and Şırnak provinces in eastern Turkey, 58 militants were neutralized between Aug. 10 and Aug. 17, and arms and ammunition belonging to terrorists were seized.
Turkish authorities had conducted direct talks with jailed PKK chief Abdullah Öcalan for several years until a truce in effect collapsed in the summer of 2015.
Since then, there have been heavy clashes between the PKK and Turkish security forces.
More than 40,000 people, including 5,500 security force members, have been killed in four decades of fighting between the Turkish state and the PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US and the EU.