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Turkey neutralises over 1,300 terrorists in 2020

May 9, 2020 at 3:55 pm

Turkey’s Defense Minister Hulusi Akar in Ankara, Turkey on 4 April, 2020 [Arif Akdoğan/Anadolu Agency]

Turkey has neutralised over 1,300 terrorists across five different operation areas since the beginning of 2020, the country’s national defense minister said.

In operations on Friday, a total of 17 terrorists in various regions were neutralized. The number of total terrorists neutralised in operation areas since January 1 has reached 1,359, Hulusi Akar said on Friday in a meeting with high-ranking commanders.

While anti-terror operations are ongoing, Turkish Armed Forces are also fighting the novel coronavirus at the same pace, Akar underlined.

It is very important for us to continue these operations. At the same time, these areas where our soldiers are present should not be affected by this virus in any way. Extraordinary efforts are being made for this,

he added.

Turkish authorities often use the word “neutralise” to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.

Though the statement did not mention a specific terrorist group, Turkey has long been conducting operations against the YPG/PKK in the region.