Turkey kills five PKK snipers in southeast

Turkey has killed five snipers from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), who have caused severe casualties among Turkish security forces, in spot-on military operations in the southeastern towns of Sur and Cizre.

In spot-on operations conducted in coordination with specially trained Turkish commandos and anti-riot police forces, the five, including two female snipers, were killed after the Turkish military received intelligence that 13 snipers operating on rural posts of the outlawed organization infiltrated Turkey following Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant's (ISIL) siege of the Syrian border town of Kobane in late 2014.

PKK snipers armed with "Kanas," the rifle PKK militants use for assassinations in the region, pose a major threat to security forces, according to the footnote prepared after intelligence work.

The footnote stated eight snipers were based in Sur, a district in the southeastern province of Diyarbak?r, and three snipers were based in Cizre, a district in the southeastern province of ??rnak. Two other snipers were based in Silopi, another district in ??rnak.

According to the footnote, snipers were seen with bases on the rooftops of empty buildings in videos recorded by air. 

Spot-on operations were conducted in coordination with the "maroon berets," specially trained Turkish soldiers operating under the Turkish General Staff Special Forces Command, and anti-riot police forces in homes allegedly used as terrorist cells by the militant group.

There are still six PKK snipers in Sur and two others in Cizre. Military operations are ongoing to clear the towns of snipers, according to military sources.

PKK snipers have thus far killed 23 of Turkish security forces and have targeted...