Latest news with #OperationClaw-Lock
Rudaw Net
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Turkey says its anti-PKK operations continue despite progress in peace process
Also in Middle East Syrian president sends FM to Arab League summit in Baghdad Iraq, Jordan, Egypt discuss tripartite cooperation mechanisms Trump to end US sanctions on Damascus, greet Syria's Sharaa in Saudi Arabia Iran calls PKK decision to disband 'important step' A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Turkish defense ministry announced on Thursday that its cross-border operations against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) continue. The statement comes just days after the Kurdish group declared its decision to dissolve itself and disarm, expressing hope that Ankara would take concrete steps to advance the emerging peace process. In a Thursday briefing, the Turkish defense ministry's Spokesperson Zeki Akturk stated that the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) are continuing to take 'intensive and effective measures' against the PKK at Turkey's borders with the Kurdistan Region and northeast Syria (Rojava). Akturk noted that "within the scope of the ongoing Operation Claw-Lock," Turkish forces have recently seized "a large number of weapons, ammunition and living materials from the caves' belonging to the PKK, rendering them unusable. He also reported that one PKK member 'surrendered' during the week, highlighting what he called 'the effectiveness of the ongoing search and screening activities' in the region. Operation Claw-Lock was launched by Turkey on April 18, 2022 with the goal of targeting PKK positions in the Metina, Zap, Avashin, and Basyan areas in northern Duhok province along the Turkish border. In Syria, Turkish forces have destroyed extensive underground infrastructure used by the PKK and the People's Protection Forces (YPG), Akturk said, elaborating that 'since January 8, approximately 99 kilometers of tunnels in the Tal Rifaat region and 112 kilometers in the Manbij region have been destroyed.' The YPG is the backbone of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) – de facto army of Rojava. Founded in 1978, the PKK initially sought an independent Kurdish state but later shifted its focus toward securing broader political and cultural rights for Kurds in Turkey. The group announced on Monday that it would disband and end its decades-long armed conflict with the Turkish state, calling it a step toward a peaceful resolution. The group reported intense bombardment by Turkey while they were holding their much-anticipated congress. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated on Wednesday that Turkey's intelligence services will closely monitor the PKK to ensure the group follows through on its pledge to dissolve and disarm. Erdogan described the PKK's decision as indicative that 'we have entered a new phase in our efforts for a terror-free Turkey.' 'The era of terror, guns, violence, and illegality has now come to an end,' he stressed. For his part, Akturk, stated in his Thursday briefing that the PKK's decision 'should be implemented without wasting time,' warning, 'We are careful and prepared against any situation that could sabotage the process, including verbal and action-based provocations.' Akturk concluded, 'Land search and scanning operations, detection and destruction of caves, shelters, mines and homemade explosives… will continue with determination until it is ensured that the area is cleared and will no longer pose a threat to our country.' Meanwhile, a member of the Community Peacemaker Teams (CPT) - a US-based human rights organization monitoring Ankara's operations in the Kurdistan Region - told Rudaw on Thursday that Ankara has 'bombed Mount Metina and Mount Gara in [the Kurdistan Region's northern] Duhok province eight times since the PKK's decision.' Kamran Osman added, 'In addition to the bombings, Turkish drones are still flying over the villages along the slopes of Qandil, Khwakurk, and Khunera.' According to the American organization's statistics, the Turkish military has carried out more than 500 airstrikes in the Kurdistan Region since the beginning of this year, most of them targeting the borders of Duhok province, followed by Erbil and Sulaimani.
Shafaq News
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Operation Claw-Lock: Turkiye hits PKK cave in northern Iraq
Shafaq News/ Turkiye's military destroyed a Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) cave in Duhok province, the Defense Ministry announced on Monday. 'Our heroic soldiers have discovered yet another terrorist cave in the Operation Claw-Lock area. Weapons, ammunition, and supplies for living were seized in the cave, which was rendered unusable,' the ministry said in a post on X. Operation Claw-Lock, which was launched by the Turkish military on April 17, 2022, is targeting PKK positions in the Metina, Zap, and Avashin-Basyan regions of northern Iraq. The PKK, which is designated a terrorist organization by Ankara, is based in the Qandil Mountains and operates across multiple areas in northern Iraq.
Shafaq News
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Turkiye launches 53 strikes in 24 hours in Kurdistan's Duhok
Shafaq News/ Turkish forces carried out 53 air and artillery strikes over the past 24 hours on Mount Gara in Al-Amadiya district, northern Duhok province, the Community Peacemaker Teams (CPT) organization reported on Monday. The member of the organization's Kurdish team Kamaran Osman told Shafaq News that the villages of Mazi, Kafna Mazi, Spindari, and Karkashi were directly targeted, despite a unilateral ceasefire declared by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The Turkish army carried out 53 airstrikes Sunday morning around villages at the foothills of Mount Gara in Duhok province, marking an escalation in its attacks over the past week, according to Kamaran Osman from the Community Peacemaker Teams (CPT).🎥: Kamaran Osman — Zoom News (@zoomnewskrd) April 20, 2025 'Turkish forces have launched 118 air and artillery attacks across the Kurdistan Region of Iraq since the PKK's ceasefire announcement, including 85 airstrikes, 21 artillery bombardments, and 10 helicopter assaults,' he revealed, noting that while the pace of attacks has dropped by 21% compared to January and February, the continued bombardment still poses a direct threat to local residents and agricultural land. Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), called in late February 2025 for the group to lay down its arms and dissolve. This announcement marked a potential turning point in the decades-long conflict between the PKK and the Turkish state. Turkiye has continued conducting cross-border strikes despite Öcalan's call for a ceasefire and peaceful resolution. Residents of the targeted villages have been displaced for more than two years amid ongoing clashes between the Turkish military and PKK militants. Eyewitnesses reported that PKK fighters are using abandoned civilian homes for shelter in targeted villages, he pointed out. Earlier today, the Turkish Defense Ministry announced on X seizing weapons and survival supplies from a cave in the Operation Claw-Lock zone. 📍 Irak'ın kuzeyiIrak'ın kuzeyinde arama-tarama faaliyetlerimiz aralıksız devam ediyor. Kahraman Mehmetçiklerimiz, Pençe-Kilit Operasyonu bölgesinde teröristlere ait yeni bir mağara daha tespit hâle getirilen mağarada silah, mühimmat ve yaşam malzemesi ele… — T.C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) April 21, 2025
Shafaq News
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Turkiye shells PKK positions, neutralizes 5 militants in Kurdistan Region
Shafaq News/ On Tuesday, Turkiye launched intensive shelling on positions of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and neutralized several members of the group in the Duhok Province of Iraqi Kurdistan. 'Smoke columns were seen rising from a site where Turkish artillery shelled PKK positions in the Mewin Valley, on the slopes of Matin Mountain, overlooking the Al-Amadiya district,' local sources told our agency. No precise information has yet been provided regarding the extent of human or material losses. Meanwhile, the Turkish Armed Forces 'neutralized 5 PKK terrorists identified in the Gara region of northern Iraq, as well as 1 PKK/YPG terrorist located in the Peace Spring area of northern Syria, during Operation Claw-Lock and operations in the Qandil region,' the Turkish Ministry of Defense wrote on X. Etkin ve kararlı!Irak'ın kuzeyindeki Pençe-Kilit Operasyonu ve Kandil bölgesinde tespit edilen 5 PKK'lı terörist ile Suriye'nin kuzeyindeki Barış Pınarı bölgesinde belirlenen 1 PKK/YPG'li terörist Türk Silahlı Kuvvetlerimiz tarafından etkisiz hâle inlerini… — T.C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) February 25, 2025 The PKK is designated a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the US, and the EU. Last week, Turkiye targeted 30 PKK militants in northern Iraq and six others in northern Syria. Additionally, Turkish forces clashed with PKK fighters in the Al-Amadiya district, around the villages of Koherzi and Blava.
Shafaq News
23-02-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Turkiye "neutralizes" eight PKK members in Iraq and Syria
Shafaq News/ On Sunday, the Turkish forces confirmed the ''neutralization'' of several members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Iraq and Syria. The term "neutralized" is commonly used by Turkish authorities to describe individuals who have been killed, captured, or surrendered. In a post on X, the Turkish Defense Ministry confirmed that eight PKK militants were targeted in the Operation Claw-Lock region, two in northern Iraq and six others in northern Syria. Terörist neredeyse hedefimiz orası!Kahraman Türk Silahlı Kuvvetlerimiz, Irak'ın kuzeyindeki Pençe-Kilit Operasyonu bölgesinde tespit ettiği 2 PKK'lı terörist ile Suriye'nin kuzeyinde belirlediği 6 PKK/YPG'li teröristi etkisiz hâle getirdi. Terörü kaynağında yok etmek için… — T.C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) February 23, 2025 The operation, which began in April 2021, aims to eliminate PKK elements in the Kurdish-majority regions of Iraq, particularly in areas such as Gara, Hakurk, and Matin. The PKK is classified as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the US, and the European Union.
