Turkish forces destroy 76 caves, shelters of PKK terrorist group in Gurz-5 ops

Turkish forces destroyed 76 caves, shelters, and hideouts of the PKK/YPG terrorist group during the Gurz-5 operations conducted across 12 provinces.

According to a statement by Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya on social media, these operations aimed to eliminate various weapons, ammunition, and explosives hidden by terrorists in caves and shelters to be used in rural attacks during the summer.

The operations, coordinated by the Gendarmerie General Command’s counterterrorism department and intelligence directorate, involved 315 teams comprising Gendarmerie Special Operations (JOH), Gendarmerie Commandos, and Security Guards, supported by J-SIHA and ATAK helicopters. A total of 3,996 gendarmerie personnel took part in the operations across Sirnak, Hakkari, Kars, Siirt, Van, Diyarbakir, Erzincan, Bitlis, Mus, Tokat, Hatay, and Tunceli.

During the operations, 102 missiles, 132 mortar and grenade launcher rounds, 191 RPG-7 rocket launcher rounds and propellant cartridges, 2,604 detonators, 165 hand grenades, 22 improvised explosive devices (IEDs), 55 machine gun rounds, 2 tons and 156 kilograms of supplies, 8,237 rounds of ammunition, and various other weapons and explosives were seized.

Minister Yerlikaya emphasized that the fight against terrorism will continue resolutely until the last terrorist is eliminated, noting that the “lairs” prepared by the separatist terrorist organization for logistics and attack purposes were identified and systematically destroyed.