Turkish military kills 21 Kurdish militants in northern Syria and Iraq

ANKARA, Dec 25: The Turkish military killed 21 Kurdish militants in northern Syria and Iraq, the defence ministry said on Wednesday.

In a statement, the ministry reported that 20 Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and Syrian Kurdish YPG militants, who were preparing to launch an attack, were killed in northern Syria, while one militant was killed in northern Iraq.

"Our operations will continue effectively and resolutely," the ministry added. The PKK, designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the European Union, and the United States, began its armed insurgency against the Turkish state in 1984. The conflict has claimed more than 40,000 lives.    —REUTERS