The Turkish Ministry of Defense announced on Sunday that two members of the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) were killed in northern Syria.
According to a brief statement reported by Anadolu Agency, the Turkish military continues its operations against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and its affiliates. The two YPG members were eliminated after being detected in the area of Operation “Euphrates Shield” in Syria.
Turkiye has conducted several military operations in northern Syria in collaboration with the Syrian National Army, including “Euphrates Shield” in 2016, “Olive Branch” in 2018, and “Peace Spring” in 2019, targeting ISIS and the YPG, which Turkiye considers an extension of the PKK.
The PKK, a group that operates across multiple countries in the region, including Iraq, Syria, and Iran, has been in conflict with Turkiye since the 1980s, seeking to establish an independent Kurdish state.
Recently, Turkiye and Iraq signed a defense agreement to bolster cooperation in counter-terrorism efforts, explicitly targeting the PKK, which Turkish officials have hailed as a significant step in addressing regional security challenges.