Ankara: Turkish security forces successfully "neutralized" three PKK/YPG terrorists in northern Iraq, as announced by the National Defense Ministry on Tuesday. The operation took place within the Operation Claw-Lock zone and utilized a strategic air operation to target the individuals. According to Anadolu Agency, the term "neutralize" as used by Turkish authorities can mean that the terrorists surrendered, were killed, or were captured. The PKK terrorists have been known to use northern Iraq as a base for planning cross-border attacks on Trkiye. Operation Claw-Lock, initiated by Trkiye in 2022, focuses on dismantling terror group hideouts in the northern Iraq regions of Metina, Zap, and Avasin-Basyan. This campaign is part of a broader effort to combat the PKK, which has been active in a 40-year terror campaign against Trkiye. The PKK is recognized as a terrorist organization by Trkiye, the US, and the EU and is responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women and children. The YPG is iden tified as the Syrian offshoot of the PKK.