US-backed YPG celebrates PKK's Iraq cave massacre
YPG sympathizers and militants wave banners of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan in Syria's Al-Ya'rubiyah in celebration after the killing of 13 innocent Turkish citizens in northern Iraq's Gara on Feb. 18, 2021 (Screengrab from ANHA website)


Members and sympathizers of the YPG, the Syrian affiliate of the U.S.-recognized terrorist group the PKK, celebrated the recent cave massacre in northern Iraq, pro-YPG website ANHA said in a report late Thursday.

PKK terrorists last Sunday executed 13 Turkish citizens in a cave in northern Iraq’s Gara after abducting them and shooting most of them in the head.

According to the article on ANHA’s website, the U.S.-backed YPG terrorists have hailed their affiliate’s inhumane massacre.

"On the 10th of February, the Turkish army launched a massive attack on the Gara region," the website said, referring to the Turkish security forces’ operation to rescue the abductees from the PKK terrorist group.

Forty-eight terrorists were killed in the land operation, and two terrorists were captured alive, the ministry said. Among the 48 terrorists killed, there were three high-level terrorists while three Turkish soldiers were killed and three others were injured at the start of the land operation.

"On Tuesday, the people of Tel Koçer district in Qamishlo canton celebrated the victory of the Guerilla forces over the Turkish occupation army in Gara," referring to the YPG sympathizers celebration in Syria's Al-Ya'rubiyah, which is under the terrorist group's occupation, over the PKK’s killing of innocent Turkish citizens.

This screengrab shows ANHA's report hailing the killing of Turkish citizens by PKK terrorist group

"The celebration was marked by the departure of a motorcade that roamed the streets of the district, the celebration also included dancing dabkah," the article concluded.

The YPG is the Syrian wing of the PKK terrorist group. The PKK is headquartered in northern Iraq's Qandil mountains.

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. Recently, Akar expressed that Turkey was prepared to provide assistance to Iraq in clearing terrorists from the region. Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has called the PKK's presence in Sinjar unacceptable and urged the militants to leave the area.

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 last week.

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 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.