Turkish intelligence takes down PKK/KCK operative linked to 2016 Şırnak-Silopi attack PHOTO

The Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) has successfully neutralized a key member of the PKK/KCK special forces in northern Iraq.

Sources within Türkiye's security structures revealed that, the operation targeted Murat Keleş, codenamed "Berhudan Harun," who was eliminated in Hakurk, Iraq, Caliber.Az reports referencing Turkish media.

The operation is linked to the 2016 attack on a military vehicle in Şırnak-Silopi, which resulted in the death of Special Forces Police Officer Yaşar Yavaş following a rocket strike.

Keleş, a member of the PKK/KCK, was identified as one of the main organizers of the Şırnak-Silopi bombing during the 2016 barricade incidents, and he had been a top priority target on MİT's list.

Thus, the PKK, recognized as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and the EU, has led a violent campaign against Türkiye for over 40 years, causing more than 40,000 deaths, including civilians of all ages. The YPG, the PKK's Syrian affiliate, has also been targeted in Türkiye’s ongoing counter-terrorism operations.

Since the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria, the PKK/YPG has sought to take advantage of regional instability to create a safe haven along the Turkish-Syrian border. Nevertheless, Türkiye remains determined to eliminate the threat posed by these terrorist groups and ensure the security of its border areas.

By Aghakazim Guliyev