ANKARA, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Turkish security forces killed at least 14 members of the Syrian Kurdish militia People's Protection Units (YPG) in northern Syria, said the Turkish defense ministry Wednesday.
"Six PKK/YPG terrorists, who attempted to infiltrate the Euphrates Shield region to disturb peace and security, were neutralized," the ministry said in a statement on Twitter.
In a separate statement, the ministry said eight other YPG members were killed in the Operation Peace Spring zone.
Euphrates Shield region and Operation Peace Spring zone are Turkey's two operation zones in northern Syria.
Turkish authorities often use the term "neutralized" in their statements to imply the terrorists in question surrendered, were killed or got captured.
Turkey sees the YPG group as the Syrian branch of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
The Turkish army launched Operation Euphrates Shield in 2016, Operation Olive Branch in 2018, Operation Peace Spring in 2019, and Operation Spring Shield in 2020 in northern Syria in order 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 more than 30 years, which has claimed the lives of more than 40,000 people. Enditem
