ADDS STATEMENT BY INTERIOR MINISTRY; UPDATES HEADLINE
By Ekrem Payan
ANKARA (AA) – At least nine PKK terrorists were “neutralized ” by a drone strike during a counter-terror operation in the southeastern province of Sirnak on Friday, the interior ministry said.
Turkish authorities often use the word “neutralized ” in their statements to imply that the terrorists in question either surrendered or were killed or captured.
Earlier, the provincial governor's office said that the aerial drone-backed operation took place in the Bestler-Dereler region near Sirnak.
In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK — listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU — has been responsible for the death of some 40,000 people, including those of women and children.
