ANKARA, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- Turkish security forces killed three members of the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in northern Syria, the Turkish defense ministry said on Monday.
"PKK/YPG terrorists, who opened harassing fire into the Operation Peace Spring zone to disrupt peace and security, were neutralized by fire support vehicles," the ministry said in a statement.
Turkish authorities often use the term "neutralized" in their statements to imply the terrorists in question surrendered, were killed or captured.
Turkey sees the YPG group as the Syrian branch of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The Turkish army has launched a series of special operations in northern Syria to create a YPG-free zone along its border within the neighboring country.
The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the EU, has been rebelling against the Turkish government for over 30 years, which has claimed the lives of more than 40,000 people. Enditem
