448 PKK militants killed so far in operations, Turkish military says

ANKARA – Anadolu Agency

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Turkey’s military has said that a total of 448 militants of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) have been killed in counter-terrorism operations in southeastern Turkey since Dec. 15.In a statement on Jan. 10, the Turkish General Staff said 20 more PKK militants were killed on Jan. 9 in the southeastern provinces Diyarbakır and Şırnak where the military operations continue amid curfews.The military’s statement said that 13 of Jan. 9’s death toll were from Şırnak’s Cizre district, which has been under curfew since Dec. 14. Ongoing operations have left 252 militants dead in the district so far, according to the military.During the operation in Cizre, Turkish security forces also removed four barricades, disposed of 15 handmade explosives and confiscated one Kalashnikov. Several shotguns and an amount of ammunition were also seized.Meanwhile, the Jan. 9 operation in Şırnak’s Silopi district resulted in the deaths of three militants. Some 20 improvised explosive devices, firearms, a rocket launcher and gas masks were also seized.The operations have so far left 122 militants dead in Silopi, according to the military’s figures.In addition to the death toll in Şırnak, four PKK militants were killed in Diyarbakır’s Sur district where a military-imposed curfew has been in effect since Dec. 2. The military states that 74 militants have been killed in the district so far.Reports indicate two other PKK militants were captured in southeastern Şanlıurfa province on Turkey’s border with Syria, during an attempt to cross the border.Last month, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced that security forces have killed over 3,100 PKK militants in Turkey and across the border in northern Iraq. Meanwhile, 300 soldiers, police officers and civilians have lost their lives since July 2015, according to official figures.