A total of nine PKK terrorists were killed in an anti-terror operation carried out Tuesday in northern Iraq, the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) said Tuesday in a written statement.

The terrorists were killed in the anti-terror operation conducted in northern Iraq's Zap region while they were planning to launch an attack on Turkish border posts, the statement added.

The PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- resumed its armed campaign against Turkey in July 2015.

Since then, it has been responsible for the deaths of some 1,200 Turkish security personnel and civilians, including a number of women and children.