49 PKK, ISIL militants ‘neutralized’ in Turkish air strikes in Iraq, Syria

ANKARA – Anadolu Agency

Turkish fighter jets have “neutralized” 20 Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants and hit dozens of other targets in northern Syria as part of the Euphrates Shield operation, while 29 outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants in the Zap region of northern Iraq were also neutralized on Dec. 11, the Turkish Armed Forces said in two separate statement on Dec. 15.Turkish authorities often use the word “neutralized” to imply militants who have been captured or killed.In an operation targeting ISIL-held buildings in northern Syria, Turkish artillery fires hit 59 targets, the statement said. The targets included shelters, defensive positions and command-and-control facilities.In addition, eight targets in the al-Bab and Suflaniyah regions were hit by Turkish warplanes.Dec. 15 marked the 114th day of the operation, which began in late August to improve security, support coalition forces and eliminate terror threats along Turkey’s border, using Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters backed by Turkish artilleries and jets.So far, over 215 residential areas, including more than 1,800 square kilometers of land in northern Syria have been cleared of ISIL militants in the operation.Of the 29 PKK militants neutralized in the Zap region of northern Iraq on Dec. 11, four were leading members of the PKK, another Turkish Armed Forces statement said.The air strikes destroyed 12 targets, shelters and weapon emplacements.The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.