One Turkish soldier killed in northern Iraq region, 3 terrorists eliminated

Ministry of National Defense reported Friday that one Turkish soldier was killed during a clash with PKK/YPG terrorists in Operation Claw-Lock zone which covers northern Iraq.

The ministry’s statement also noted that three members of the terror group were killed. “Our heroic comrade-in-arms, Infantry Petty Officer Sergeant Mehmet Ali Horoz, was (killed) during contact with members of the separatist terrorist organization,” the statement read.

The ministry said that operations were ongoing in the region.

In April of 2023, Türkiye initiated Operation Claw-Lock to target the PKK terror group’s hideouts in the Metina, Zap, and Avasin-Basyan regions of northern Iraq, near the Turkish border.

The operation followed two earlier ops, including Claw-Eagle in 2020, aimed at eliminating terrorists hiding in northern Iraq and planning cross-border attacks in Türkiye.

Over its more than 40-year campaign of terror against Türkiye, the PKK, which is designated as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.