45 PKK terrorists, including 2 senior figures killed in anti-terror operations

Forty-five PKK terrorists, including two senior local leaders have been killed in anti-terror operations between Oct. 12 and 18, the Turkish military said in a statement Friday.

The counter terror operations were carried out in southeastern Hakkari, Şırnak, Diyarbakır and Siirt provinces, as well as Zap and Avaşin/Basyan regions, where PKK terrorist camps are located in northern Iraq.

Security forces seized three infantry rifles, a rocket launcher, four shotguns, two guns, 156 kilograms of ammonium nitrate, five hand grenades, 330 small arms of various kinds and ammunition.

Sixteen improvised explosive devices, 19 weapons pits, shelters, hideouts and caves used by the terrorists have been destroyed, the military added.

Founded in 1978, the PKK has waged a decades-long bloody campaign against Turkey.

The PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and the EU, resumed its armed campaign in July 2015 after a brief reconciliation period.

Since that time, the PKK has been responsible for the deaths of some 1,200 security personnel and civilians, including women and children, while more than 4,000 security personnel and over 2,000 civilians have been injured.