Türkiye eliminates 11 YPG/PKK terrorists after rocket attack
Smoke rises from the Syrian town of Tal Abyad, in a picture taken from the Turkish side of the border where the Turkish flag is seen near Akçakale, Oct. 10, 2019. (AFP File Photo)


The Turkish military eliminated 11 YPG/PKK terrorists in retaliation for rockets fired into the Türkiye-Syria border area, the Defense Ministry said Friday.

"PKK/YPG terrorists carried out a multi-barrel rocket attack from Tal Rifaat to the area of our Öncüpınar Border Post. While there was no damage/loss in our units, the terrorist targets were hit strongly within the scope of self-defense," the ministry said in a written statement.

Any attack by the terrorists will not remain unanswered, it reiterated.

The statement came shortly after the governor's office of Türkiye's southern Kilis province said eight multi-barrel rocket launchers fired by YPG/PKK terrorists in northern Syria landed in the Öncüpınar border crossing area in Kilis near the border with Syria.

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

Since 2016, Turkey has 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 – namely, Euphrates Shield in 2016, Olive Branch in 2018 and Peace Spring in 2019.