Turkey launches massive anti-terror operation

Ankara, Nov 24 (IANS) Turkey has launched a large-scale anti-terror operation in the eastern part of the country, the Turkish interior ministry said Saturday.A total of 2,250 personnel, including special police forces and gendarmerie commandos, take part in the operation in Tunceli Province, the ministry said in a written statement.The operation, named as "Kiran-7 Operation of Munzur Valley," targets the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) members in the region, aiming to thwart potential attacks in the upcoming winter, the Xinhua news agency reported.The PKK, which has been fighting against the Turkish government for more than 30 years, is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US and the EU.A total of 1,144 "terrorists" were killed, Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said Wednesday, elaborating on the intense security operations against the Kurdish group in the past three years.
--IANS rs/