14 PKK fighters 'neutralized' by airstrikes inside Kurdistan Region: Turkey

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) - The Turkish military announced on Friday that it had "neutralized" 14 fighters from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) the night before in air raids in mountainous border areas inside the Kurdistan Region.

The term "neutralize" is commonly used by Turkish officials to refer to enemy fighters killed, captured, or incapacitated.

In a statement quoted by Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency, the army also claimed to have destroyed 13 hideouts or bases used by the group in the late-night cross-border attacks.

Turkey views the PKK as a ‘terrorist’ organization. Their fighters, now headquartered in the Qandil Mountains of the Kurdistan Region, have been fighting an almost four-decade-long insurgency against Ankara which has resulted in over 40,000 casualties on both sides.

The mayor of the town of Sidikan told Kurdistan 24 on Tuesday that Turkish airstrikes targetting PKK positions had destroyed a local bridge in the village of Kawart, the second bridge in the area bombarded in one week.

Both the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Iraq have condemned such Turkish attacks in past weeks, especially those that killed four civilians camping in the mountains of Choman district as part of their celebration of Newroz, the Kurdish New Year.

In recent years, the KRG has also repeatedly told Ankara to cease airstrikes within the Kurdistan Region and has been critical of the PKK for using its territory as a base from which to conduct operations within Turkey.

“Why has Turkey crossed the border [of the Kurdistan Region]? What is the reason? There is a reason,” Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani said during a March 28 press conference.

“The Kurdistan Region has a principle. The Region in no way would allow its soil to be used to attack or make conflict with neighboring countries. This principle includes attacks on Turkey, Iran, Syria or any other countries,” he stated, referring to the PKK.

“It is very unfortunate," Barzani added. "We have tried and told the PKK, 'You cannot use the Kurdistan Region’s soil to launch military attacks on Turkey and then return to Kurdistan.' It doesn’t make sense, and we have asked them several times to stop it."

In Turkey's province of Sanliurfa late Tuesday night, Turkish forces raided the house of imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan’s brother, Mehmet Ocalan, and arrested nine people, including Kurdish politicians and journalists.