ERBIL — Turkey's National Defense Ministry on Sunday claimed that four fighters of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) were “neutralized” in the border areas of the Kurdistan Region.

The operation targeted the PKK members in Gara region, state media Anadolu Agency cited a statement by the ministry, without providing further details in this regard.

The term "neutralized" is used by Turkish authorities to indicate that the individuals were either killed or arrested.

The PKK establishes its bases in the rugged and isolated mountainous terrains of the Kurdistan Region. These areas frequently experience Turkish airstrikes and artillery assaults, resulting in unintended harm to civilians, village displacements, and agricultural land damage.

In December, Turkish National Defense Minister Yasar Guler stated that more than 2,000 Kurdistan Workers' Party members had been 'neutralized' in 2023.