The Turkish military killed nine terrorists of the PKK's Syrian offshoot, the YPG, in northern Syria, a statement by the Defense Ministry said Thursday.

The terrorists were preparing for an attack on the Operation Euphrates Shield zone, the ministry said on Twitter.

Since 2016, Ankara has launched a trio of successful counterterrorism operations across its border in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terrorism corridor and enable the peaceful settlement of residents, namely Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018), and Peace Spring (2019).

Turkey carried out Operation Peace Spring in 2019 against the YPG/PKK in northern Syria's Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ain regions to curb terrorism activities along its southern border, as well as to bring peace and tranquility to the region.

After the completion of the operation, Turkish officials focused on ensuring the security of the region and creating conducive conditions for the civilians displaced due to terrorism to return home.