8 PKK, PYD militants preparing for 'sensational attack' caught in Turkey's Gaziantep

Turkish police and the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) caught eight militants of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) as well as the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), who were preparing for a "sensational action" in the country, in the southeastern province of Gaziantep in a joint operation on June 30, Doğan News Agency has reported. 

After they were nabbed, the militants, including two of Syrian origin, reportedly led the security personnel to some places where they hid 146 kilograms of explosives to be used in their "action" as well as money and gold worth 862,000 Turkish Liras (about $245,000). 

Meanwhile, Turkish jets hit PKK targets in the southeastern province of Siirt early on June 30, "neutralizing" nine militants, the military said in a statement. 

Two bunkers and another armed position was also destroyed, it said. 

Authorities use the word "neutralized" in their statements to imply the militants in question were either killed, wounded or captured.      

Separately, Turkish warplanes on June 29 conducted an air operation against PKK militants in northern Iraq, "neutralizing" seven of them, the army said. 

The General Staff said in a statement that its warplanes conducted an air operation against PKK militants who had been preparing attacks on Turkish border posts.

In a separate operation on June 29, Turkish jets also conducted air strikes on the Avasin Keri Mountain region of northern Iraq and the southeastern province of Hakkari, killing three PKK militants, it said.        

In a separate weekly notification report released on June 30, the General Staff said a total of 60 PKK militants were "neutralized" over the last week in anti-terror operations in Turkey's...