The Turkish Defense Ministry announced the killing of 1,868 PKK militants in military operations carried out by the Turkish army against the party's militants in northern Iraq and Syria during the current year. The Spokesman for the Turkish Defense Ministry, Zeki Akturk, said in a media briefing today, Thursday: The Turkish army's operations in northern Iraq and Syria during the current year, which focused on strikes carried out by Turkish fighter jets, resulted in the killing of 1,868 PKK saboteurs. Akturk pointed out that last Monday, Turkish fighter jets launched a series of airstrikes on 20 targets in the areas of "Metina", "Zab", "Kara", "Hakurk", "Qandil" and "Asos" in northern Iraq, including caves, shelters, warehouses and facilities used by the organization. He stressed that the operations carried out by the Turkish army outside the borders, specifically in northern Iraq and Syria, are primarily aimed at securing its borders and that the goal is not to violate the sovereignty of either country. H e pointed out that the Kurdistan Workers' Party "PKK" has taken the Qandil Mountains in northern Iraq as its stronghold, and is active in many cities, regions and valleys, launching attacks on the Turkish interior from there, and that the Turkish army is working hard to dry up the sources of terrorism. Source: National Iraqi News Agency