Turkish security forces on Thursday arrested 22 people for their suspected links to the PKK terrorist group in the country’s southeast.

The arrests came after prosecutors in Diyarbakır province issued arrest warrants for suspects, said a source who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

The suspects were caught in a counterterrorism operation in Kayapınar district.

Over 270 kilograms of explosives, a huge cache of arms and ammunition, and other materials were also seized during the operation.

Turkish security forces regularly conduct counterterrorism operations in the eastern and southeastern provinces, where the PKK has attempted to establish a strong presence and bases.

The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) also carry out cross-border operations in northern Iraq, a region where PKK terrorists have hideouts and bases from which they carry out attacks on Turkey.

The operations intensified after July 2018 and have become routine since the beginning of another extensive campaign, Operation Claw, which was launched on May 27 to eliminate the presence of the terrorist organization in northern Iraq.

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 deaths of some 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. The Peoples Protection Units (YPG) are its Syrian offshoot