Türkiye says Zap region in northern Iraq ‘largely cleared’ of Kurdish fighters
ANKARA (AA) – Türkiye has cleared the Zap region in northern Iraq of Kurdish fighters, according to the Turkish National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar.
A total of 506 Kurdish militants have been “neutralized” since Türkiye launched Operation Claw-Lock, a cross-border anti-terrorism offensive last April, Akar told the media.
“Operation Claw-Lock has reached a certain stage. The Zap area has been largely cleared of terrorists,” he said.
“With this operation, a 302-kilometer line along the Iraqi border has been secured.”
Turkish forces destroyed nearly 600 caves and “militant hideouts” in the region, according to Akar, along with more than 2,000 mines and handmade explosives.
Some 1,174 weapons and 533,275 rounds of ammunition were seized, he said.
“Our only objective is the defense and security of our nation. That is what we are working for, and we will do whatever needs to be done,” he added.
Turkish forces targeted the PKK’s hideouts in Iraq’s northern Metina, Zap, and Avasin-Basyan regions near the Turkish border.
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