Army ensures firm control on PKK's most critical asset in Turkey

Turkish forces have cleaned up every inch of Buzuldağı Mountain, known as the stronghold of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) within the borders of Turkey.

After the campaign, 119 PKK terrorists were found dead. Two commando brigades and special operations forces were engaged in the operation, which officially began on September 27 and generally ended on November 5.

During the 40-day-long campaign, reinforcement troops were carried every two or three days by military helicopters to the operation area.

The operation took place in a rugged terrain area with steep cliffs at the altitude of around 3,500 metres, where the temperature falls to -15 degrees at night.

The military campaing was named for Lt. Colonel İlker Çelikcan, who lost his life in a malicious PKK attack in Dağlıca village on September 6. Troops managed to enter the most rugged parts of the terrain, where everyone previously believed impossiple to get access.

Heavy clashes, which erupted with PKK members in some parts of the operation, left six soldiers dead. Improvised explosives, previously planted by the PKK in the path of Turkish troops, were succesfully detonated. The military forces discovered various substances and materials used for making bombs and different sort of explosives.

Five anti-aircraft missiles, 39 heavy weapons and tens of thousands of munitions were found during the operation. PKK targets, used as shelters, bunkers, as well as their military positions were successfully destroyed during the campaign, which was backed by the Turkish air forces.