United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Sunday extended his condolences to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for nine Turkish soldiers killed in an attack by the PKK terrorist organization.

The two leaders spoke via phone, during which they reiterated solidarity against terrorism, Turkish diplomatic sources said without disclosing further details.

PKK terrorists attacked Turkish military posts in northern Iraq on Friday, killing nine and injuring four soldiers.

After the deadly attack, top officials in Türkiye convened a security meeting Saturday, under the chairmanship of Erdoğan.

"This struggle will continue until the last terrorist is neutralized and the terrorist swamps in Iraq and Syria are completely drained," the country's Directorate of Communications said in a statement on the outcome of the meeting held in Istanbul.

PKK terrorists often hide out in northern Iraq to plot cross-border attacks in Türkiye. The group also has a Syrian branch, known as the YPG.

Türkiye launched Operation Claw-Lock in April 2022 to target the PKK terrorist organization's hideouts in Iraq's northern Metina, Zap and Avasin-Basyan regions near the Turkish border.

It was preceded by Operations Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle launched in 2020 to root out terrorists hiding out in northern Iraq and plotting cross-border attacks in Türkiye.