The National Intelligence Organization (MIT) has eliminated a so-called high-ranking member of the PKK terrorist group during an operation in Iraq’s Gara.

According to security sources speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), terrorist Hanım Demir, code named Berfin Nurhak, was both a member of the PKK as well as a high-ranking member of the YPJ, the terrorist YPG's women's branch.

After determining that a meeting was planned within the terrorist group, security forces took action. Sources said that Demir had been implicit in several attacks against security forces. They added that she joined the PKK in the 1990s and had been appointed by the terrorist group to replace the terrorist code-named Sofi Nurettin after he had been killed by MIT’s 2021 operation. Demir, who was active in the Sinjar and Gara regions of Iraq, had been providing ideological as well as weapons training to terrorist members.

The PKK terrorist group often hides out in northern Iraq, just across Turkey's southern border, to plot terrorist attacks in Turkey. The Turkish military regularly conducts cross-border operations in northern Iraq.

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

In the last two years, the operations intensifying in northern Iraq have demolished terrorist lairs in Metina, Avashin-Basyan, Zap and Gara. After eradicating the organization's influence in these regions, Turkey also aims to clear Qandil, Sinjar and Makhmour.

The Qandil Mountains in northern Iraq are the PKK's stronghold and the group is active in many nearby cities and towns. It occupies a large number of villages in the region from where it launches attacks on Turkey.