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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — A senior official from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) was killed by Turkish intelligence during a military operation near Makhmour refugee camp on Friday, Turkish state media has reported.
Hasan Adir, also known as Salih Cizre, was killed in an airstrike after being surveilled by Turkish intelligence, Anadolu Agency reported, citing anonymous security sources.
It claimed Adir used to administer the camp, located in Erbil province but in territory disputed between Baghdad and Erbil, in coordination with Selman Bozkir, whom Erdogan said on June 6 was killed by Ankara the previous day.
The attack which killed Bozkir also killed two other people near the camp, home to more than 12,000 Kurdish refugees who fled state persecution in Turkey. Ankara claims the camp has links to the PKK.
AA said Adir was among the most-wanted PKK officials in Turkey, and had previously headed PKK operations in Sulaimani and Germany.
Neither the Turkish government nor the PKK have confirmed Adir’s death.
The PKK is an armed group struggling for the increased rights of Kurds in Turkey but is seen as a terrorist organization by Ankara which regularly conducts military operations against the group at home and in the Kurdistan Region.
Turkish defense minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told TRT Haber on Wednesday that the camp must be "cleared" of the PKK.
On June 2, Erdogan told the same outlet that Makhmour was the next target after the Qandil Mountains – where the PKK is headquarted.
"Makhmour is almost the incubation nest of Qandil. This brood nest is flourishing in the city centre. If we do not go after this, this brood will continue to produce,” he said. "We care about Makhmour as much as Qandil."
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