Turkish security forces have eliminated four PKK terrorists in northern Iraq’s Operation Claw-Lightning area, the Defense Ministry announced Friday.

In a written statement, the ministry vowed to continue to destroy terrorist elements and their hideouts.

Many PKK terrorist hideouts and bases are located in northern Iraq, from where they carry out attacks on 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 from targeting terrorist threats.

Turkey launched Operations Claw-Lightning and Claw-Thunderbolt on April 23 in northern Iraq’s Metina and Avaşin-Basyan regions near its borders.

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