Minister: Over 100 terrorists killed in Operation Pence Kilit zone VIDEO

Turkish Minister of National Defence, Hulusi Akar, has said that over 100 terrorists have been killed by the Turkish army in the zone covered by Operation Pence Kilit (Claw Lock) in northern Iraq since April 18, 2022.

“A group of militants blocked by special forces in one of the caves has been recently killed,” Akar made the remarks on his Twitter page while addressing the participants of the meeting in the presence of commanders of units involved in the anti-terrorist operation via videoconference, Caliber.Az reports.

Akar, accompanied by Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Yasar Guler, Commander of the Land Forces Musa Avsever and Commander of the Air Force Hasan Kucukakyuz, visited the Command Control Center of the Land Forces in Turkiye’s southeastern Hakkari province.

"We will retaliate for the death of a single serviceman," Akar stressed, recalling that five Turkish servicemen have been recently killed in a clash with Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorists in northern Iraq.

The minister emphasized Ankara's determination to completely eliminate the threat of terrorism near Turkiye’s borders.

 MSB HULUSİ AKAR: “Komandolarımız bir grup teröristi mağarada sıkıştırdı. Söz konusu operasyonla, Pençe-Kilit Operasyonu'nda bugüne kadar etkisiz hâle getirilen terörist sayısı 100'ü geçti. Şehitlerimizin kanlarını, yakınlarının gözyaşlarını yerde bırakmadık, bırakmayacağız." pic.twitter.com/HP9yMMp5Fd

— T.C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) May 25, 2022