ANKARA, July 20 (Xinhua) -- At least three members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) were killed in Turkey's southeastern Hakkari city in a new anti-terror operation dubbed "Lightning-2 Cilo," Turkish Interior Ministry said on Monday.
The counter-terrorism operation includes a total of 1,106 security forces composed of gendarmerie commandos, gendarmerie special forces, police special forces, and local security teams, said the ministry in a statement.
The operation was launched on Sunday and aims to eliminate the PKK elements in the region, according to the ministry.
The Turkish security forces regularly conduct anti-terror operations in the eastern and southeastern parts of Turkey, yet the operations were intensified after July 2018.
The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) also carry out cross-border operations in northern Iraq, a region where PKK members have hideouts.
The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union, has been rebelling against the Turkish government for over 30 years, which has claimed the lives of more than 40,000 people. Enditem
