Turkey launches new operation against PKK militants in the southeast

• 

The Turkish Interior Ministry confirmed that Turkish security forces launched an operation targeting suspected sites of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the southeastern province of Batman.

The Ministry indicated that the new operation, which involves the participation of 650 security personnel, aims to expel the remaining PKK militants in the province.

It also noted that the campaign is an extension of the ongoing “Eren Blockade” autumn-winter operations which aim to expel the PKK militants from Turkey's rural areas.

On Wednesday, the Turkish Interior Ministry claimed that its security forces inflicted 1,220 casualties, including 87 senior officials, on a number of groups, including the PKK.

On the other hand, the PKK said 2,942 Turkish soldiers were killed in attacks carried out by the party's armed wing - the People’s Defense Forces - against the Turkish army last year.

Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu claimed on Tuesday that the number of PKK militants in Turkey fell to below 120 after "at least 125" surrendered in 2022, though the PKK has not confirmed these numbers.

It is noteworthy that on November 20, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar announced that Turkey launched the "Operation Claw-Sword" offensive against Kurdish militants in northern Iraq and Syria.

The Turkish Defense Ministry claimed that the offensive was carried out in line with the right of self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter.

Later, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country is committed to destroying the PKK "until its last militant is neutralized" and raised the possibility of conducting a ground operation soon, blaming the Kurdish militants for the November attack that killed six people in Istanbul.

Read more: Turkey arrests 2 suspected of New Year terror plot: Reports