The Turkish military has neutralised 13 PKK terrorists over the last two days during its cross-border operation in northern Iraq, the national defence minister announced.

This came after two Turkish soldiers were killed on Saturday during ongoing Operation Claw-Lock in the Zap region.

The operation was launched by Turkish commandos against terrorists attempting to escape from the region after Saturday’s attack, Hulusi Akar said on Sunday at a video conference meeting with the commanders of the units participating in the Operation Claw-Lock.

“Among the neutralised terrorists are the traitors who carried out the attack," Akar said.

A total of 480 terrorists have been neutralised since the beginning of Operation Claw-Lock, he added.

Two soldiers were "martyred and three others injured as a result of harassing fire by the members of the separatist terrorist organisation" during Türkiye’s Operation Claw-Lock, the National Defence Ministry said on Saturday.

Türkiye launched Operation Claw-Lock in April to target the PKK terror organization's hideouts in the Metina, Zap, and Avasin-Basyan regions of northern Iraq, located near the Turkish border.

It was preceded by Operations Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle launched in 2020 to root out terrorists hiding out in northern Iraq and plotting cross-border attacks in Türkiye.

Recently, Türkiye launched Operation Claw-Sword in northern Iraq and Syria, a cross-border aerial campaign against the terror group PKK/YPG, which has illegal hideouts across the Iraqi and Syrian borders where they plan and sometimes execute attacks on Turkish soil.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK –– listed as a terrorist organisation by Türkiye, the US and EU –– has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.

READ MORE:Türkiye's Operation Claw-Lock in northern Iraq 'approaching the end'