Artillery fire and rockets launched by members of the PKK terrorist organization's Syrian wing, the YPG, left four Turkish soldiers wounded in northern Syria, sources in Ankara informed late Sunday.
The terrorists attacked Turkish bases with simultaneous mortar and multiple rocket launchers in areas where the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) have been conducting the counterterrorism operations Olive Branch and Euphrates Shield, the Defense Ministry added.
The injured soldiers were rushed to the hospital in Kilis province bordering Syria, the ministry said. "The terrorists have been responded to with retaliatory action with strong attacks on targets," it added.
On Monday, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar confirmed a total of 10 terrorists were eliminated in retaliation to the attacks.
Earlier on Sunday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stressed that Türkiye would continue to "resolutely" take steps against terrorism and will not allow any global or regional actor to endanger its security.
"Terrorism is the biggest scourge that the imperialists have inflicted on Türkiye," Erdoğan said at an iftar dinner in the southeastern Şanlıurfa province.
He said Türkiye’s "national security begins beyond its borders," and stressed that, “We could never be safe while there are terrorists equipped with air power, ground power and asymmetric weapons" in the north of Syria and Iraq.
"Hopefully in the upcoming term we will boost our efforts in this direction," he added, referring to elections set for May 14.
Earlier, Erdoğan attended a foundational ceremony for 897 post-earthquake houses and the key handover of 659 houses and 61 shops.
The PKK – designated as a terrorist organization in the United States, the European Union and Türkiye – has been waging a bloody terrorist campaign against the country for four decades, attacking security personnel and civilians. It has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people since 1984, with its massacres peaking especially in the 1990s.
The YPG/PKK has hideouts in northern Syria, near the Turkish border, where they plan and carry out attacks on locals and nearby settlements in Türkiye.
Since 2016, Ankara launched a trio of successful counterterrorism operations across its border in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and enable the peaceful settlement of residents: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018) and Peace Spring (2019).
Türkiye carried out Operation Peace Spring against the U.S.-backed YPG in northern Syria to bring peace and tranquility to the region. After the completion of the operation, Turkish and SNA units focused on ensuring the security of the region and creating the necessary conditions for the return of civilians displaced by terrorism.
The operation, conducted in line with the country's right to self-defense borne out of international law and United Nations Security Council resolutions, aimed to establish a terrorism-free safe zone for Syrians to return to the area east of the Euphrates, then controlled by YPG/PKK terrorists.
Since the launch of the operation, Türkiye has been supporting every aspect of life in the region, from health care to education, security to agriculture. In this respect, efforts to clear bombs and improvised explosive devices were launched and administrative duties were allocated to local councils.
