Turkish security forces have killed six PKK terrorists that were preparing to launch an attack in northern Iraq, the Defense Ministry stated Thursday.

The terrorists were detected and eliminated in the Operation Claw-Tiger region by fire support vehicles, the ministry said on Twitter, sharing footage of the operation.

"Our fight against terrorists continues effectively and determinedly," the ministry added.

Operations Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle began in border regions of northern Iraq last June to ensure the safety of Turkey's people and frontiers.

Turkey launched Operations Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle last June to ensure the safety of Turks and its national borders by eliminating terrorist threats. Operation Claw-Eagle 2 was launched in February.

The PKK managed to establish a foothold in Iraq, particularly in the Sinjar region in mid-2014 on the pretext of protecting the local Yazidi community from Daesh terrorists. Since then, the PKK has reportedly established a new command base in Sinjar to carry out logistical activities.

Turkey has long been stressing that it will not tolerate threats posed to its national security and has called on Iraqi officials to take the necessary steps to eliminate the terrorists. Ankara previously noted that if the expected steps were not taken, it would not shy away from targeting the group.

In its more than 40-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union – has been responsible for the deaths of nearly 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.