Ankara, Jul 30 (IANS): Turkey "neutralised" 13 members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in an operation carried out in northern Iraq, said the Turkish Defence Ministry on Tuesday.

The operation took place in the Gara and Haftanin regions of Iraq, said the statement, without specifying the timing.

Turkish authorities often use the term "neutralise" in their statements to imply the alleged "terrorists" have either surrendered, been killed, or been captured, Xinhua news agency reported.

"We continue and will continue our struggle with great determination to save our noble nation from the scourge of terrorism," the ministry said.

The PKK, listed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union, has rebelled against the Turkish government for more than three decades.

Since 2019, Turkey has initiated a series of cross-border military operations in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region of northern Iraq, targeting the PKK's hideouts.