Turkey ‘neutralizes’ 43 terrorists over past week

By Sibel Ugurlu</p> <p>ANKARA (AA) – Turkish security forces have neutralized 43 terrorists including a so-called senior operative in counter-terrorism operations across Turkey over the past week, the country’s Defense Ministry said in a statement on Friday.</p> <p>Turkish authorities often use the word &quot;neutralize&quot; in their statements to imply that the terrorists in question either surrendered or were killed or captured.</p> <p>The statement said that the operations were conducted on Jan. 18-25 in Turkey's southeastern Diyarbakir, Sirnak, and Mardin provinces, and the eastern Mus and Bitlis provinces, neutralizing 43 terrorists, including one so-called senior operative.</p> <p>During the operations, Turkish forces also confiscated eight infantry rifles, 961 pieces of small arms ammunition, eight hand grenades, an antitank weapon, 23 hand-made explosives, 35 kilograms (77 pounds) of ammonium nitrate, and four kg (9 lb.) of C-4 explosives.</p> <p>Thirty-eight weapon pits, shelters, and depots belonging to the terrorists were also destroyed.