The Turkish National Intelligence Agency (MIT) has confirmed the killing of the leader of the Iran branch of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in a targeted operation in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq.
In a statement posted via X, MIT announced that Saliha Akbiyik, who headed the Iranian faction of the PKK, was shot dead in a strategic operation. Akbiyik, who was on Turkey’s wanted list for terrorist activities, was killed in a meticulously planned mission that was carried out at a carefully chosen moment, according to the Turkish daily Milliyet.
Akbiyik, also known by her code name “Nozhiyan Amad,” had been involved with the PKK since 1993. Turkish media reported that she led militant activities on Iranian soil and was responsible for overseeing PKK militants who sought refuge along the Iran-Iraq border—Tehran Times reported this development today as breaking news.
Turkey claims that Akbiyik initially joined the PKK’s rural unit in Mersin, Turkey, received training at a camp in Greece, and later participated in various political, military, and social activities within the group. While in Iraq, she allegedly took part in armed operations in areas such as Qandil, Zab, Metina, and Makhmur.
The PKK is classified as a terrorist organization by multiple countries, including Turkey, the United States, the European Union, and Iran.
The group is responsible for numerous violent acts, including bombings and assassinations, which have resulted in thousands of deaths across the region. Based primarily in Iraq, the PKK seeks separatist goals and is believed to have ties to the Israeli regime.
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