ANKARA, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Turkish army killed six members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Turkey and northern Iraq, the Turkish defense ministry and interior ministry said on Friday in two separate statements.
"Our operations against the terrorist organization PKK continue resolutely. Four PKK terrorists were neutralized by airstrikes by means of reconnaissance and surveillance in Haftanin, Avasin and Zap regions in the north of Iraq," the ministry tweeted.
In another statement, the Turkish interior ministry said its security forces "neutralized" two terrorists in southeastern Turkey.
The local gendarmerie commandos and special forces in the Mardin province launched operations in the rural areas of Omerli district, said the ministry in a written statement.
Turkey has long been conducting operations against the PKK in southeastern Turkey and in northern Iraq where the group has hideouts. These operations are intensified in the past few months. PKK members often use northern Iraq to launch cross-border attacks in Turkey.
The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union, has been rebelling against the Turkish government for over 30 years, which has claimed the lives of more than 40,000 people. Enditem
