At least 16 PKK terrorists, including a senior member sought by security forces was killed in a counter-terrorism operation in eastern Turkey, security sources said Saturday.

Yusuf Şek was identified among 15 terrorists killed during operations conducted in Ağrı Mountain region in eastern Turkey from April 6-16, said the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

The operations were conducted by gendarmerie forces of Ağrı province.

Şek was named in the red category of the Interior Ministry's list of wanted terrorists.

The wanted list is divided into five color-coded categories, with red as the most wanted, followed by blue, green, orange and grey.

The terrorist reportedly joined the PKK in 1992 and participated in a number of terror attacks, including one consisting of a car bomb attack on a security point in Karabulak in Aug. 2, 2015, as well as various attacks resulting in the deaths of over 40 security personnel in Van, Iğdır, Erzurum, Diyarbakır, Bingöl, Kars, Bitlis and Ardahan provinces.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- has been responsible for the death of some 40,000 people, including those of women and children.